


A Collection of Ones

by GreekLetter



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, One Shot Collection, POV Second Person, POV Third Person, finally I made myself write in a different POV
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:55:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 28,123
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24922675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreekLetter/pseuds/GreekLetter
Summary: While I take the time to outline and write my next full length fic, I am writing through some one shot prompts to keep my writing flow going. So here is a variety of Monochrome one shots! They are all based off of prompts I've stumbled upon or have been sent by friends. This work will be on-going. I plan on adding as I go and will mark as complete when finished.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 49
Kudos: 69





	1. I Think You Missed Your Calling

** I Think You Missed Your Calling **   
  


It was that time of year again. The day of Winter and Robyn's only child's birthday had been slowly approaching. Just like it had every day for the last few years. And much to your surprise, Weiss had been way less resistant to going than you had been. Was Weiss Schnee excited or thrilled in any way to spend an entire afternoon in a house filled with little kids? Absolutely not. But you were even less thrilled. The mere idea of tens of children running around, screaming and being loud. And not to mention dirty. Kids always had something on their hands, no matter what. It was always guaranteed that you would be greeted by hands that were either sticky, wet or dirty in some fashion.

But when Winter and Robyn invite you to a birthday party for your nephew, you have to show up. Regardless of whether or not you want to. It was also your sister-in-law, which didn't make attempts to resist going any easier.

To make matters worse, Winter called Weiss in complete panic mode the night before the party because she forgot to order a cake. How do you plan an entire party and forget the cake? It's for kids, there could be nothing but the cake and the party would be fine. And for some unknown reason, Weiss told Winter that it was fine. That you would just bake cupcakes instead and the two of you could bring them.

You have nothing against baking. You rather enjoy cooking. And baking. But you didn't care for baking and decorating four dozen cupcakes until two in the morning the day of this birthday party. Also, for someone that only sets foot in the kitchen to reheat leftovers and help clean up dishes, Weiss was making some hefty promises for this party. She did, however, sit and watch while you did all the work. And you appreciated her company. The cupcakes did look flawless, but that wasn't the point. The cupcakes could look like they've been run over by a car and the kids would still eat them. They were kids.

—

When the two of you arrive at Winter's house, you can hear the dreadful sound of children at play long before you can see it.

"Are you sure we can't just leave them on the kitchen counter and run back to the car?"

"Blake! Absolutely not! This is our nephew's fourth birthday party, and we must attend."

"Fifth."

"What?"

"It's definitely Aiden's fifth birthday."

Weiss stops in place on the pathway to the front door. When you look back towards her all you see is a quizzical look on her face.

"Are you sure? I could've sworn it was his fourth."

"No, no. This is the fifth. Because last year I got tasked with filling all the balloons with helium, and Robyn thought it would be fun to have sparklers at the party. And I vividly remember a number four balloon turning into a giant ball of flame very close to my hair. There were many adults screaming. Lots of kids crying. And if I remember correctly, lots of muffled laughter coming from you." She laughs quietly and a smiles spreads across her face.

"That's right. I remember now." She clears her throat. "This is his fifth birthday." She opens the door of the house and the two of you step inside.

Luckily for the two of you, the kids seemed to be solely concerned with themselves and none of them wanted to wipe their sticky and grubby hands on your clothes, or spill their drinks on your shoes. And since you didn't have any children of your own to watch, you weren't obligated to take a turn babysitting as they played outside in the backyard.

And in a desperate attempt to try and keep that distance, you volunteered to help get food ready when the time came. Putting pizza, and eventually cupcakes, on paper plates was arduous and grueling work.

When the time comes for opening presents, you and Weiss chose a spot away from the crowd in the center of the room. Instead, leaning against the wall.

She leans over and says to you quietly "I guess I should've asked this way before now but, what did we get Aiden this year?"

Rolling your eyes, you cross your arms over your chest. "We got him one of those kits to dig up your own dinosaur. Because all five year olds like two things, dinosaurs and digging in the dirt."

"Okay. Perfect." She purses her lips and nods her head. "Good thinking. Also educational."

"Not really. It's literally a block of sand and dirt compressed together and it comes with a little chisel and hammer." You shrug.

When he opens the gift from the two of you, he raises it over his head and yells in excitement. And when you look over, the smile on Weiss' face is so infectious that you can't help but smile yourself.

—

A few hours later, the party has ended and you are following Weiss around with a trash bag helping clean up after the countless little minions.

"We definitely had the best gift. We are the best aunts ever. I mean, did you see the look on Aiden's face when he unwrapped that book Whitley sent him?"

"Hey, I love reading. I read all the time when I was little too."

"Not when you were five! The book didn't even have pictures in it."

"Now you just sound like Yang."

Suddenly, you feel something pulling at the hem of your shirt. Quickly turning to see if you got it caught on something, you find yourself looking down into ice blue eyes.

"Hey birthday dude, what's up?"

"I wanna tell you something. But Aunt Weiss can't hear. It's a secret."

"Oh really?" You quirk an eyebrow and glance at Weiss, who's mouth is hanging open slightly in surprise. "Well then let's go over here, so Aunt Weiss can't hear our secret."

You grab his hand and take him over to the patio table. Seemingly out of the way, but where Weiss could still hear from where you knew she was creeping behind the wall.

After you help lift him up into the chair, you kneel down in front of him so that the two of you are eye level with each other.

"Okay. So what's this big secret?"

"Actually," he draws out the word into each syllable. It must be his new word of the week. "I have two secrets." He holds up two fingers for you to see.

"Oh wow, two secrets. That's a lot."

"They are good secrets though. Not bad. So they are okay."

"As long as they are good and you don't hurt yourself or anyone else, there's nothing wrong with keeping a few secrets sometimes."

"The first one is that I think you make the best cupcakes in the whole wide world. I told my moms and they said that you made the cupcakes for my party and that I needed to say thank you. So thank you for making the best cupcakes ever for my birthday. I told all my friends that you made them."

This makes you chuckle and shake your head. And when he's finished with his thank you, Aiden looks over through the window and you see Robyn giving him the thumbs up. Which he gives right back to let her know he completed his mission.

"I'm not really sure it's a secret that I make the best cupcakes though. You and I both know that Aunt Weiss can't cook." You hear a small scoff from behind the wall, so you know she heard you. It also makes Aiden laugh. "So what's the second secret?"

"This is a big one. Big, huge secret. I haven't told anyone ever." He motions with his hand for you to come closer so he can whisper. So you lean in. "When I grow up, I want to be a curer like you."

"You want to be a curator like me when you grow up, huh?" You put your hand on your heart, acting surprised.

"My mom said that you work in a museum and you take care of all the old dinosaur bones and fossils and stuff. And all the other really old stuff. And I love all dinosaurs. Every single one. Like the triceratops and the t-rex. And the ones with really long necks. Even the really scary ones with razor sharp teeth." His enthusiasm makes you smile.

"Well, there are a lot of other things to being a curator than taking care of the dinosaur bones, you know."

As soon as you say it, the smile fades from his face and he looks defeated.

"But hey" you poke him on his knee, "maybe one day you can come to work with me and I will show you all of the stuff that I get to do. We can walk through the entire museum and look at everything. Including all the dinosaur bones. And I will even show you all the cool stuff we don't have on display. Top secret stuff. How's that sound?"

"Then I can be a cure, a cur-"

"Curator."

"A curator like you?"

"Not after your first day. There's a lot of stuff you have to learn. But I can teach you, if you want?"

"Yes please!"

"Okay Aiden, I think you've told Aunt Blake enough secrets for one day. It's time to go brush your teeth and get ready for bed." Winter appears next to the two of you and pats Aiden's shoulder.

He slowly slides off the chair and makes his way towards the house.

"Wait! I almost forgot." He turns and runs back toward you and wraps his arms around your neck and gives you a hug, which you quickly return. "Thank you for letting me tell you my secrets, Aunt Blake."

"You got it dude, any time." You pat him on the back when he runs off.

—

Later that night, when you walk down the stone pathway in front of Winter and Robyn's house toward your car, Weiss hooks her elbow with yours.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I think you missed your calling."

"Oh yeah? And what would that be?"

"Blake Belladonna, kid whisperer and world's best secret keeper."

"Oh come on, really? He tells me one secret, and suddenly I'm the kid whisperer?"

"Let's be real, you folded for that kid like a lawn chair. Miss 'I hate all kids, they are dirty and gross and yucky."

"So what? He's our nephew. If he wants to talk to me about dinosaurs and working at a museum, who am I to dissuade him?"

"Fair point."

"Or maybe I have discovered my true calling, as the cool aunt. And you are just jealous that I'm the cool one." You tease, knowing Weiss would never be bothered by it.

"I am not! And there are plenty of other fun kinds of aunts that I could totally be like…"

"The wine aunt."

"Yes! Exactly. That sounds great. I volunteer to be the wine aunt. I've been practicing."

"There is one thing we will never have to worry about though."

"And what is that?"

"As long as Whitley keeps sending books, we will always be the favorites."

"That's true, the competition is very slim."


	2. That's A Good Look For You

** That's A Good Look For You **

"This is miserable."

The repetitive sounds of zippers and pulling of fabric echoes throughout the room. The four of you stand on your own tiny pedestals, surrounded by the countless mirrors that line the walls of the room you are trapped in.

"Come on Blake, it's not that bad. And Nora would be doing this for any of us if the situation were reversed."

"Not helping, Ruby." The strain in Weiss' voice is clearer than the windows of the bridal shop.

"Listen, I hate this just as much as the rest of you. Dresses are totally not my thing. But Nora is only gonna marry Ren one time, hopefully. So we gotta suck it up and-" Yang cuts herself off by releasing an unexpected cry of pain that makes the three of you jump. "Hey lady! Watch it with those pins! I got a robot arm, not a robot leg!"

"Sorry Miss Xiao Long, it will only take a few more minutes."

"Yeah, she told us that over an hour ago." Weiss mumbles under her breath, making you smirk.

"Hey guys! I'm back!" Nora sings as she comes around the corner in her own white dress, seamstress in tow, looking well past the point of frustration. And you can only sympathize. "How is everything going? Perfect, right?"

The four of you "uh huh" in unison. Lies and deceit.

"Okay ladies, well I'm done for the day. So I'll see you lovely bridesmaids at dinner later tonight! Don't forget!" And just as quickly as she arrived, Nora disappears back from where she came. Yang releases an audible sigh and you see her shoulders slouch down from out the corner of your eye.

The woman that is pinning something near your waist looks up at you and gives a sympathetic look.

"It's really great that all of you are doing this for her. She seems extremely overzealous, but the dresses are really lovely." The seamstress says quietly.

"And pink." Weiss says through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me, Miss Schnee?" The seamstress questions.

"The dresses are fucking pink. And I HATE pink." And that is your queue.

"Excuse me, ma'am? Are we nearly done?" You try to be as polite as possible.

"I think we have all we need. Thank you ladies for your patience. Please go ahead and feel free to step into the dressing rooms and change back into your clothes."

Weiss is already grabbing over her shoulder for the zipper of her dress before she can even get to the door of the dressing room.

"Alright over there, snowflake?"

"Fuck off Yang." Weiss slams the dressing room door shut behind her.

"Um… Yang that was uh, not good." Ruby hops down off the pedestal and shoves Yang off of hers. "Come help me with this stupid dress, it's like a cage. I'm sure Blake can help Weiss without you fanning the flames."

"Sorry Blakey." Yang slinks her way into the other dressing room behind Ruby.

You brace yourself before lifting your hand to knock on the door.

"What?" It's almost growled from behind the door.

"Can I come in there? I would kinda like to take this dress off as much as everyone else." You give it a few seconds, listening intently.

"I guess so."

When you open the door, you see a defeated looking Weiss sitting on the bench inside.

"Hey." Carefully, you shut the door and lean back against it. "You know Yang was just being Yang. She didn't mean to upset you."

"It's not Yang." She stands up, shaking her head.

"It's amazing, by the way." She looks up to meet your gaze.

"What?"

"The pink. Even though I know you hate it. It looks amazing on you. It looks great with your hair, your eyes." She rolls her eyes and a small blush creeps across her skin. "And your skin."

"Always a flatterer."

"I mean it. Pink, that's a good look for you. Whether you like it or not."

"Oh hush, I look amazing in everything and you know it. Can you just help me with the zipper?"

When you wiggle your eyebrows, she finally cracks a smile. And she playfully slaps your shoulder when she steps in front of you before turning back to face the mirror, pulling her hair out of the way.

"I will say, while you do look flawless in pink, you would look even better in white." This immediately catches her attention. Her eyes growing wide in the mirror.

"Blake Belladonna, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"All I'm saying is that I wouldn't mind seeing you in a white dress of your own one day."

She spins to face you, opening her mouth to say something but a rapid knocking on the door cuts her off.

"Hey you two, can you please open the door? I feel really bad and just wanna say I'm sorry." Before you can even move to open the door, she starts again. "Or are you doing unspeakable things in there and do I need to send Ruby outside?"

You throw open the door to find Yang lurking with a smirk on her face.

"Unfortunately for you, nothing unspeakable has gone on. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go change as well. Or else we are going to be late for dinner."

"Whatever you say, Bellabooty. Ruby and I will wait for you two up front." Weiss steps out from the dressing room in her normal attire.

"You know, you look nice in pink too."

"Oh sick, I'm gonna throw up." Yang pretends to gag as she wanders off to find Ruby.

Weiss walks up next to you, placing a kiss to your cheek.

"Let me go change really fast, or else we really will be late for this dinner." You turn to walk into the dressing room, and you hear the sound of fabric shredding as you step. And you freeze in place.

"Oh my God." When you look down, all you see is half of your dress laying on the ground between you and Weiss. Weiss is just standing there, one of her shoes standing on the bottom hem of the lower half of your dress.

"Guess it's a good thing you've seen me in way less than my underwear before or else this would be incredibly embarrassing." It's all you can really say as you nervously laugh your way into the dressing room to change.

"Guess it's a good thing I never mind seeing your lacy black underwear." Her laugh makes you smile. "I'll meet you up front."

Now it was your turn to blush behind the dressing room door.


	3. Can I Tell You A Secret?

** Can I Tell You A Secret? **

"Hey Blake, I know it's like super late…"

"But you need me to come pick her up and bring her home, don't you?"

"Yes please."

"And I'm guessing that you've lost Nora and Yang by now as well?"

"I'm not going to say that they are lost, simply because I haven't even looked for them."

"Uh huh." You know you sound completely unamused as you throw on some clothes and shoes, heading out the door. "Can you text me the address and I'll be there as soon as I can."

"Thank you so much. And I'm sorry!"

—

Once you get in the car and connect your phone to the GPS, you have to double check that the address Pyrrha sent you is correct.

"This can't be right." Toggling back and forth between the messages app and the map. But it was.

After about ten minutes of driving, you pull into the parking lot of a popular chain restaurant. Honestly, it's just a sports bar… if it could even be called that.

"Blake, thank you thank you. I may have severely underestimated my ability to have a few drinks with my friends."

"Oh no. It's fine. You did the best you could. If I hadn't had to work late I would've been here to help." You scan the room looking for dark hair with red tips but find nothing. "I'm guessing Ruby has already started the hunt for Yang?"

"Yes, she left just a few minutes ago." Pyrrha has a hand on her hip and her other pressed to her forehead. Clearly stressed out.

"Well, if you want to go ahead and see if you can find Nora, I can handle it from here. Shouldn't be too hard to track her down." You pat Pyrrha's shoulder as you walk past her. "Just follow the path of destruction."

"Sure. Okay. Well, she's at the bar. I got the bartender to cut her off about 30 minutes ago. But she doesn't know that."

"Probably for the best. Thanks for keeping an eye on her for me."

Pyrrha waves goodbye and you turn and make your way through the crowd. As soon as you find your intended target, you hop up on the empty stool next to her. Before you have a chance to speak to the woman next to you, the bartender comes up to you.

"Can I get you anything to drink?"

"A water please, if it isn't too much trouble." He nods and walks a few steps away.

"Who comes to a bar and drinks water?" The woman beside you questions, sounding well past inebriated.

"You should probably try it more often." You say as you swivel the stool to face her better.

"Gods almighty Blake, when did you get here?"

"I just got here. I couldn't let you have too much fun without me."

When she turns to face you, she grabs your hands and her eyes go wide with excitement.

"We had so much fun." The smell of the alcohol on her breath is potent. "Nora ordered us these drinks that tasted like sunshine and the beach. They were amazing. And then Yang tried to say that she could drink one faster than me, which wasn't even true. Because I had already had three before that. So she su-suggested that we race."

"And how did that go? Did you win?" Knowing what you know about Yang Xiao Long, you already know how it went.

"Of course. Of course I won." She waves her hand in dismissal.

"Oh I'm sure you did." Keeping a close eye on Weiss as she sways back and forth on her stool, you wave to signal the bartender.

"Why is it so loud in here? My head is starting to hurt." Weiss swivels back to face the bar, propping her head up in her hands.

"Excuse me sir, does she have an open tab?"

"She does. And it's rather hefty." He looks at you apologetically.

"I'll go ahead and close it out then."

Reaching into your wallet, you hand the gentleman your credit card and he walks over to the register nearby. When he brings your card and receipt back, you leave him a substantial tip. You can't say for sure how much of a struggle the three of them put this bartender through, but from the look on his face, this wasn't a typical Thursday evening for him.

"Ready to go home?"

"Might as well, I don't know where everyone went."

"Home, drunk. That's where they went."

"I'm not drunk." She proudly proclaims as she clings to your arm as you pull her out the door and into the night air.

"Okay cool, you can drive then. I'm tired." You pull your keys from your jacket pocket and pretend to hand them to her. Her eyes cross slightly before she can collect herself enough to answer you.

"I'll let you drive this time, because I think I've forgotten how."

"Uh huh." You open the passenger side door and help her get into the car, eventually having to grab her leg and swing it into the car.

"You better watch where you put your hands Belladonna, I'm married!" She almost yells into your ear, causing you to close your eyes for a few seconds before answering.

"How silly of me to forget, I apologize." And you double check that she's completely inside the car before closing the door. "This is gonna be a long night."

By the time you can make your way to the driver's side door and turn the key in the ignition, Weiss has already begun to sing at the top of her lungs. It's so loud that you swear your teeth are shaking. But at least she's not throwing up in your car. So you take the wins where you can get them.

"I'm hungry."

"What would you like to eat?"

It's well past the time for anything to be open so you're really just biding your time until you can figure out if she's really hungry, or just really drunk. Or both.

"Breakfast."

"You want to eat breakfast at midnight?"

"Is there something wrong with that?" You're trying to remember the contents of your kitchen as you pull the car into the garage.

"I know the perfect place for breakfast."

"Well that's just lovely." You let her hold onto your arm as you guide her through the house towards the kitchen. "This is a beautiful house."

"I'm glad you think so, I designed it." Rolling your eyes as you help her settle down into a chair in the kitchen.

As soon as you find Weiss some pain relievers and a glass of water, you begin to cook her something to eat. Eggs and toast seem like a quick and easy midnight breakfast. When you slide the plate of food onto the table in front of her, she immediately starts eating. Maybe she was really hungry.

You take a seat beside her at the table and take a sip from the hot tea you made for yourself. Knowing that you probably only have a few minutes until the true drunken Weiss makes her appearance, you settle in.

"These are the best damn eggs I think I've ever eaten."

"I'm glad you like them." Continuing to monitor her expression closely, you place your mug down on the table.

After a few more moments, her vigorous chewing begins to slow. And you know it's about to start. She places her fork down on the table and looks up at you. The tears are welling in her eyes. And before you know it, she begins to sob uncontrollably.

"Hey." You soften your voice so you don't upset her more. "Weiss, what's wrong?"

"This is all my fault. I am an awful person."

"You aren't awful. There's nothing wrong with going out and having fun with your friends."

"It's not that." She shakes her head, still whimpering as tears fall from her eyes. She looks at her left hand quickly, then clenches her fist and hides her hand under the table.

"I can't help you if you can't tell me what's wrong." Even though you know it's from the drinking, it still breaks your heart when she cries. She wipes the tears from her face and tries to compose herself, sitting up in the chair.

"I need to tell you something. But you have to promise not to say a word to anyone, ever."

"Okay."

"Can I tell you a secret, Blake Belladonna? And you swear to never tell anyone?"

"I promise."

"I'm in love with you." As soon as the words leave her lips, she begins to cry again. "You are just the most amazing person I've ever met. I think about you all the time. I want to spend every single waking second with you. You do things you don't have to for me, like come rescue me when I'm drunk and make me breakfast for dinner. You are always just so lovely. And I'm just so sad because I'm in love with you but I can't love you, because I'm married."

"That is an awful secret to keep." You're trying to look as sympathetic as possible. Weiss looks at the ring on her hand one more time and folds over on the table in defeat. Laying her head down, continuing to cry.

Now that she can't see the look on your face, you let the smile you've been holding in make it's way across your face. Shaking your head, you pick up her empty plate and put it in the sink and start to clean the remaining bits of food from it.

By the time you've cleaned up the kitchen and made your way back over to the table, Weiss has passed completely out. Just as you had hoped. It really makes the rest of this adventure way easier for you.

Carefully scooping her up in your arms, you carry her upstairs, put her in clean pajamas and make sure she's nestled under the covers of the bed.

Before going to sleep yourself, you check your phone one last time, sending a message to match the ones you've received from Pyrrha and Ruby, letting them know that you also made it home safe.

You wake up early for work the next morning, going downstairs to make yourself breakfast and start coffee for Weiss. After about half an hour, you hear the sound of someone walking down the stairs.

"I feel like I've been hit by a bus."

"I can imagine so." You slide a cup of coffee across the breakfast bar towards her. She grabs the mug and intertwines her fingers around the edges. Holding it for warmth.

"How bad was it?"

"Well, you told me your deepest most dark and dirty secret."

"I have a deep, dark and dirty secret?" She quirks an eyebrow in disbelief.

"Oh yes, definitely. Or at least you thought you did last night."

"Are you going to tell me? Or just make me wonder forever? Because I don't remember too much after Nora got in trouble for breaking that chair."

"I guess I can tell you. Even though you made me promise to never tell anyone, ever." She rolls her eyes at you. "You told me that you are madly and deeply in love with me. And that you think about me all the time. That I'm the most amazing person ever." She is still looking at you, deadpan and unamused by your retelling.

"That's it?" She is unimpressed with the story you had to offer.

"Nope. The best part was when you told me how sad you were because you can't love me."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're married." Gesturing to the ring on her finger.

"Yeah, to you!" At this point, you can't hold your laughter in anymore. Weiss grumbles under her breath. "I'm glad you find my drunken distress and hangover so funny!"

"I will admit, it was kind of funny at the time. But you were so sad. It broke my tiny little heart."

"Oh whatever."

"Can I tell you a secret?" She looks up over the edge of her coffee mug, quirking her eyebrows.

"Might as well." She shrugs.

"I love you too."

"That's not a secret." Weiss smiles into her coffee.

"No, no it's not."


	4. Are You Flirting With Me?

** Are You Flirting With Me?   
  
  
**

"Hey Weiss, are you lost?" You look up from your book, confused. Because if anyone is lost in the library, it's Yang. Who is currently standing in front of you, asking stupid questions.

"No I'm not lost. Why are you even asking?" Not bothering to even try and hide the annoyance from your voice and expression.

"Because heaven is just a long way from here, that's all." Blake scoffs in her seat next to you. Nearly as unimpressed as you.

"What do you want, Yang?" There has to be some ulterior motive here. You know Yang well enough to know she's not serious.

"I need your help." She pulls her phone from her pocket and holds it out for you take.

"With..?" You eye the phone, but don't take it from her hand.

"There is something wrong with my phone."

"No there isn't." Blake's mumble is barely audible.

"It doesn't have your number in it." Yang flashes a cheesy smile. You can literally see every single one of her teeth.

"You are an idiot. You've had my phone number for years." Dismissing her, looking back down at your book.

"Yeah um, I know." She lets out a tiny sigh and quickly glances at Blake and then back at you.

"Are you okay? Because you're acting way more dumb than usual. Are you drunk or something?"

"I'm not drunk, I'm just intoxicated by you." You close your book with a little too much force.

"Okay, that's enough. What is wrong with you?" Standing up, you place your hands palm down on the table and lean forward.

Yang shifts her weight nervously onto her right foot and crosses her arms.

"I dunno Weiss, life without you is just like a broken pencil. It's pointless."

"Are you flirting with me?" You find it difficult to hide the repulsion from your voice.

"Well, I-"

"Have you lost your mind, Yang Xiao Long?"

She looks down at the floor, pursing her lips like she's trying to think of what to say next. And you pray, for her sake, it's not another one of her Gods' awful puns. Much to your surprise, she doesn't look back up to you. Instead, she turns to face Blake.

"See? I told you this wasn't going to work!"

"Because you clearly didn't try hard enough! 'Intoxicated by you?' I mean, come on!" Blake closes her book and leans forward in her chair. "Those were terrible puns, Yang. And you know Weiss hates them."

Now you're just confused. Aren't you supposed to be the one mad at Yang? That's your thing.

"I told you, this kind of stuff only works when I'm actually interested in someone." She turns to you quickly. "No offense, Weiss. You can't just use me like a test subject."

"You volunteered to help me." Blake's monotonous tone is the most believable part of this entire conversation thus far.

"I volunteered to show you that Weiss doesn't want me to flirt with her."

"You aren't wrong."

"Not now, Weiss. Blake and I are having a conversation about how if she wants to learn how to properly flirt with you, she just needs to suck it up and do it herself. Instead of having me do it for her and look like a fool."

"You weren't supposed to say anything, Yang!" Blake's face turns crimson in embarrassment.

"Wait, what?" This whole situation has gone from annoying to a little more than mildly interesting.

"I simply asked Yang to participate in an experiment to see if you would notice if she was flirting with you or not. That's all."

"Nuh uh, not this time Belladonna. Tell her." Yang motions towards you.

"Tell me what?" You look at Blake, who looks like she fears for her life.

"Fine." Yang huffs, tired of Blake's silence. "Blake has been trying to flirt with you for weeks. Probably months, but that's neither here nor there. But she is convinced that she's either awful at it, or you are just completely uninterested.

"You've been flirting with me?" Your mind immediately tries to delve back into everything Blake has said to you over the last few weeks. How could you have missed it? Are you really that dense?

"Well, I mean, I was trying to. But it seemed like you never noticed." Blake sighs, defeated.

"All of this is ridiculous." Yang starts to collect her things. "Weiss, Blake has been trying to be all sneaky about it, but she constantly talks about you. She won't shut up. It's annoying. And Blake, Weiss clearly likes you. I mean, look at her face right now. She's stunned into complete silence at the mere thought of you flirting with her."

How did Yang find out that you like Blake… like that? You didn't tell anyone. Not even Ruby. Are you that obvious? But wait, wait. Blake likes you? Like that? You can feel your heart beating a thousand times a minute. Your skin is flushed and clammy. And you feel faint.

"Now, I'm going back to your room to play video games with Ruby. The two of you aren't allowed back in until you sort this out. Go on a date. Get married. Grow old. Whatever it takes. Just figure it out before you come back." Yang throws her bag over her shoulder and starts to walk away.

"Where are you going? You have homework to do!"

"And you're in love with Blake." She shrugs. "Sorry, I thought we were just stating the obvious."

Since you have no idea what to do, you slowly sit back down in your chair, with Blake sitting silently beside you. The two of you stare straight forward, not saying a word. After a few more seconds of excruciating silence, you can't take it anymore.

"So um, you actually like me, like.. like me like me?" The tone of your voice comes out a little more desperate than you intended.

"Yup." She slowly nods, eyes still staring forward. She closes her eyes for a second and turns to look at you. "A lot, actually."

"That's acceptable. Because I like you a lot actually too. And I'm sorry I didn't notice you were flirting with me."

"Totally fine. I'm probably just bad at it."

"Do you want to go out?" You suck in a quick breath. "To go get coffee or something."

"Right now?"

"Sure."

"Tea."

"What?"

"You know I don't drink coffee. So if there's tea, we can go."

"We can go an-tea-where you want to go." And finally, the awkwardness is broken by the sound of you both laughing.

"If you use any more of those Yangtastic puns., we will end up getting a divorce before we could ever get married."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Belladonna." You say as you walk through the doorway of the library, and head to the coffee shop nearby.


	5. This One Is On Me

** This One Is On Me  
  
  
**

"I can't believe you tricked me into this."

"I didn't trick you. I persuaded you to see reason."

"We could've paid people to do this for us." Weiss huffs out a breath, trying to blow the hair out of her eyes as the two of you continue to carry your mattress up the stairs of your new house.

"But you will appreciate the move so much more if we do it ourselves." You struggle to lift the bottom end of the mattress over the edge of the final step.

"Whatever you say. At least all the living room furniture is getting delivered, so we don't have to mess with that."

"You mean the amazing furniture set that I alone picked out and you agreed was perfect?"

"Yeah. That one." Weiss lets go of her side of the mattress and you follow suit, letting it fall into the frame evenly.

"Yang helped with the difficult stuff. And if I remember, you were more interested in making sure every single one of the dishes was perfectly wrapped in that bubble wrap stuff than helping us."

The two of you walk back into the kitchen and begin to unpack various boxes together.

"You know I don't care for manual labor. Which is why I suggested that we pay a company to pack and move our things. But you refused." She puts her hands up defensively.

"It's a complete waste of money."

"I told you, money isn't an issue."

"Having the money isn't the issue. I am well aware that we are perfectly capable of affording it."

"So, what is the issue then?"

"We could spend that money on something else. Like.. I don't know.. donating it to a local homeless shelter or something." You continue moving around the kitchen, placing items in their new home.

"You do realize that you spent over a thousand lien on just the new couch, right? That doesn't include the chairs, lighting and all the other stuff. And for one room."

"Okay, fine. I get it. Well if we ever move again, I will let you pay to have everything packed and moved. Plus it's a little weird to have strangers pack your things. I don't know how I feel about that."

"Oh, we are never moving again."

"You think so?"

"If I have anything to say about it, you and I are going to grow old and die in this house."

"Well that's just morbid."

"I think it's sweet." She nonchalantly shrugs her shoulders.

"Good to know you plan on being stuck with me until you die." You give her a smirk.

"Oh hush. It was 'as long as you both shall live' if I remember correctly. And I plan on giving you absolute hell until the very end. And in this house no less. Not to mention it took almost two years for them to build it for us."

"Only because you kept changing your mind and they had to go back and fix or rebuild nearly everything."

"I wanted our house to be perfect. That's all."

"Weiss, you made them change the bathroom tile eight times." She shoots you a glare. "But as long as you are here, it's perfect to me." She rolls her eyes, but gives you a small smile. "We could live in a grand fortress of cardboard boxes, but as long as they're our cardboard boxes, I'm good."

There's a firm knock at the front door and you tell Weiss you will get it. Lightly jogging out of the kitchen and to the doorway. When you open the door you find the parcel delivery company man standing in front of you.

"Hello."

"Hi. Are you Blake Belladonna?" He looks up from the tablet in front of him to confirm the name.

"That's me."

"Can you please sign here so I can release this item to you?"

"Sure." You quickly sign the tablet and hand it back to him.

He picks up the medium sized box beside him and hands it over to you.

"Have a good afternoon, ma'am."

"You too?" You don't mean to seem so confused. But you weren't expecting anything other than living room furniture to be delivered today. So you have no idea what's in the box.

Carefully carrying it back into the kitchen, you set it down on the island in the middle.

"What's that?" Weiss asks, just as curious as you.

"I have no idea. I didn't expect anything today other than the furniture, did you?"

"No. Just open it and tell me what's in it." She hands you one of the box cutters and you slice the tape open.

After you pull all the packing materials from the box and get a clear view of the contents, you feel your soul drop to your feet.

"Oh no." It's nearly a whisper.

"What? What's in the box?" She looks at you expectantly. When the two of you meet eyes, you try to look as sorry as possible. "Blake, what did you do?"

She prances over to stand near you and peers into the box from the opposite side and grabs the packing slip from your hand. You look off to the side, preparing to face the wrath of Weiss Schnee.

"I know, this one is on me." You try to start to apologize, but you never get the chance.

"Oh, this is completely on you. And the money to pay for real ones can come out of your account, not the joint account." She stomps off a few feet away from you before turning back around. "The chairs too?"

"Yeah. The whole set." There's nothing you can do but accept defeat.

You hear her groan in frustration as she leaves the room. You stare down into the box for another few seconds.

"I'm going upstairs to shower." Her sudden return causes you to jump. "Then you can shower, there may still be hot water left for you, I haven't decided. And then you're taking me out to dinner. As part of your pain and suffering."

"Sushi?" You ask apologetically.

"Absolutely." She turns again and once she starts walking up the stairs you hear her yell back out to you. "And get rid of those stupid things. I'm angry just knowing they exist."

You listen in for another few seconds and hear her turn the shower on before you start to move around the kitchen freely.

"How could I have been so stupid? I paid all that lien for this stuff?" You say to yourself as you pick up the box and carry it into the barren living room

Sitting down in the middle of the room, you begin to pull the contents of the box out.

"I had no idea dollhouse furniture cost as much as actual furniture. Crazy."

You can't help but laugh to yourself as you arrange the tiny pieces as you would have if they had been full size. It looks completely ridiculous. But what else were you going to do with it all until you could figure out how to return it? Might as well make comedic use of it.

As you reach the top of the stairs and walk into your bedroom, you give Weiss a small kiss on the cheek as she brushes past you.

"I'll be ready to leave in like twenty minutes." You tell her as you wander into the closet to grab clothes.

"I'll just be downstairs on the couch." Patiently you wait for her sarcastic continuation, which she promptly delivers. "Oh wait, I can't because the couch you bought us is fit for a mouse!"

"Even if I said I was sorry, you would still be mad."

"I'm not mad."

"Sure you aren't." You say as she walks back downstairs to wait for you to finish getting ready.

While you hang up your towel and set your clothes out, you wait for what you know is sure to come. After about a minute or so it happens.

"Damn it, Blake!"

Weiss must've wandered into the living room and seen your tiny display of dollhouse furniture. And you can't help but laugh out loud as you turn the water on and hop into the cold shower.


	6. Stop Trying To Cheer Me Up

** Stop Trying To Cheer Me Up **

It had been nearly a week. The entire team had been walking on eggshells. All because of this stupid Dust Theory exam.

The exam that Weiss Schnee failed.

But it hadn't been one of those nearly there failures where you scored ten percent or less from a passing grade. No, it was one of the ones where your first answer determined whether you got the rest of the questions right. And Weiss got the first question wrong. So she ended up getting all the questions wrong.

After Goodwitch had returned the exams back to you, there was that moment of initial shock. The 'how could Ruby AND Yang score higher than Weiss?' kind of shock. You know, the one that no one has ever experienced before and probably will never again.

Once that had settled down, Weiss seemingly entered into some really odd form of a grieving process. What was she grieving for exactly? Who knows, at this point it might as well be your sanity. Because it was all downhill from there.

Of course there had been the obvious denial that she got the question wrong, that the exam was flawed. That somehow all of you but her managed to get the same answer, but hers was actually the correct one.

There were also some short lived attempts at trying to bargain with Goodwitch. All of which were futile. "The results are final, Miss Schnee." That was the response when she asked to retake the exam. Or when she offered to correct the exam and hand it back in for partial credit. "The results are final, Miss Schnee." Every. Single. Time.

And you had done your best to try and help her work through this. But she wanted no assistance getting over her loss.

"It's just one exam Weiss. It's not the end of the world. We have four more exams left in the semester. You have plenty of time to boost your grade."

"Blake, you have no idea what this does to my average! It will literally destroy my untarnished record."

"How terrible that must be." You cared that she was upset. You just thought her reasoning was a little ridiculous.

Striving for and expecting to achieve academic perfection was a little unreasonable of a goal to have. No one was perfect. Not even Weiss Schnee, although you would fight anyone that attempted to suggest otherwise.

"Do you understand how this looks?"

"Like you made one mistake, just like any of us could have just as easily made?"

"Not just that! I am a Schnee. I failed a Dust Theory exam. My family IS Dust Theory."

"So, you basically failed yourself twice?"

That was the absolute worst thing you could've possibly said. Because the onslaught of tears and boisterous sobbing that followed was heart wrenching.

From there, Weiss sank down into the gutter of depression. She barely ate anything. She slept all day when you all weren't in class. She didn't talk to any of you unless it was some mumble of yes, no, thank you or no thank you.

And you had to give Ruby and Yang credit. At first they respected her space. Ruby brought Weiss coffee every morning. Sometimes she drank it, sometimes not. She reminded Weiss to shower and take care of herself.

And Gods bless Yang. It took all she had to just be quiet. And she did it for a solid four days. She didn't bother Weiss at all. No puns. No shoulder bumps. No outrageous gestures of any kind.

And you, you just gave her space. Any attempt to ask if she was alright or needed anything was always met with a hushed "no" or "I'm fine."

But silence is temporary. Very temporary if Yang Xiao Long is nearby. So when the three of you are sitting at the lunch table together on the fifth day of The Silent Schnee, Yang finally breaks.

"I can't do it anymore."

"No one is making you eat vegetable soup. There were plenty of other options." You gesture towards the food line with your spoon before dipping it back into your own soup.

"I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about Weiss."

"I agree." Ruby's participation pulls your attention from your soup and up to the table in front of you. "It's unnatural for me to have to remind Weiss to study and do her homework. It needs to stop. We have to do something."

"See? Helping Weiss wins, two to one. You're outvoted, Blake."

"I never voted. I'm abstaining. You two can do whatever you like. Just don't come crying to me when she freezes you to a wall, or sets your hair on fire." You grab your tray from the table and start to make your way to the trash to clean up after yourself.

"Oh come on Blake, you aren't going to help us at all?"

"Ruby is Weiss' partner. She should be able to handle it. And you, well, just good luck."

"I know I'm her teammate and combat partner but you're her…"

"Her what?" You look at Ruby, unamused by her not so subtle suggestion.

"What Ruby is trying to say is, you are Weiss' non combat partner."

"Ha. Well, since I'm non combative, I'll be in the library."

The days that followed were filled with over the top gestures of kindness, jokes, puns, tons of junk food and overall loudness. All of which seemed to do nothing but agitate a stoic and ever silent Weiss.

Honestly, it was annoying you. So you could only imagine what it was doing to Weiss. She had repeatedly asked that Yang lay off. And insisted that Ruby not bother. Then finally, one day when you were returning from the library late one evening, you hear it. The moment you knew would happen.

"Quit it Yang! Enough is enough." You can hear Weiss' voice echo down the entire hallway. "Let me go!"

"Nope. Sometimes you just need someone to hug you when you're sad! I'm not gonna let go until you say you aren't sad."

"I'm not sad, I'm FURIOUS!"

Ruby's voice cautiously fills the air.

"Maybe, Yang maybe you should just let her go?"

You can see the eyes of Nora and Jaune peeking through a sliver of a crack in the doorway of the room across the hall from your own. And you can hear what you are fairly sure is Pyrrha trying to pull them away, insisting they not be so nosy.

You roll your eyes to yourself as you slowly open the door to your room, trying to balance the books you have in your other arm as you push the door open.

When you step into the room you see what looks like the aftermath of a war. Stuff is everywhere, books on the floor, the curtains and corners of the bedposts look like they've briefly caught fire at some point, and there's coffee spilled all over the desk. You remain in the door way because you aren't really sure where to go.

"Stop trying to cheer me up!" Weiss yells as she squirms to get out of Yang's grasp.

"If I let you go, will you stop setting stuff on fire?"

"Fine!"

Any other time, you would've believed Weiss would honor her word. But as soon as Yang releases her from her bear hug, all you see are shards of ice heading directly for you from out of clouds of dust.

Without thinking, you use your semblance and end up landing halfway on a pile of books. Next thing you know, you scream out as you slip and fall to the ground. Reaching out for anything that can break your fall. Only finding the edge of an open dresser drawer, which follows you down to the ground. Which is where you lay, groaning in pain with multiple books underneath you, the ones you were carrying are now covering your body and the drawer you dislodged lays beside you, broken into three pieces.

"Oh Gods! Blake!" You hear Weiss call out as you close your eyes.

"Good job Snowflake! You killed my best friend."

"Are you okay, Blake?" Ruby calls out to you. And all you can do is give her a small thumbs up, not even bothering to open your eyes.

When you finally do open your eyes, you see Weiss kneeling down beside you, with Ruby and Yang standing over you, behind Weiss. There is a look of concern on the sisters' faces. But Weiss has her lips pursed together like she's, wait, is she laughing?

She grabs onto your hand and pulls it to her chest, leaning her head back as she continues laughing. Yang exchanges a worried glance with Ruby.

"I think you broke her, Blake."

"I think the only thing I broke is my back. Maybe my ribs. I can't tell. It all hurts." Weiss begins to pull the books off of you as she continues to giggle. Once you can sit upright, she stands up and offers you her hand and helps pull you from the floor to your feet. "I'm glad my clumsiness has provided the necessary humor to knock you out of your funk, but can you please help me get to the nurse's office?"

"Of course." She says, sliding her hand around to the other side of your waist to help support your weight.

"Do you want me to help? I can carry you."

"I think you've done more than enough helping today, Yang. You and Ruby have Grimm Studies homework that's due tomorrow and I know for a fact that neither of you have even started."

"Old Weiss has returned." Ruby says, throwing her fist into the air in victory.

"And the two of you can clean this mess up while we are gone too."

"Oh yeah, Weiss is definitely back to her old self. No fun." Yang mumbles as the two of you make your way down the hall towards the nurse's office.

"You don't have to help me walk, I'm fine."

"Are you sure? That fall was pretty bad."

You take an agile jump forward. Completely unharmed by your fall. The benefits of Aura.

"Blake Belladonna," she fakes a gasp, "were you faking it?"

"Maybe?" You give her a smirk. "But I got you to hold my hand."

"Look at you, ever so sneaky."

"I also have some good news for you." Your smirk turns into a full blown smile.

"And what would that be?"

"I talked Goodwitch into dropping our lowest test grade of the semester." You nudge your shoulder against hers.

"Are you serious? How?"

"It took me a while to convince her. I prepared a speech and demonstrated the benefits and how the alleviation of stress helps students perform better over the duration of the semester and some other stuff that I found while I researched in the library."

"You did research for me? How sweet."

"Well, you are Ruby's combat partner. But as Yang likes to say, you are my non combat partner."

"That's quite suggestive, though not inaccurate."

"I'm sorry that I said you failed yourself. It was thoughtless and I didn't intend to upset you."

"Thank you. Although I must admit, your apology is mostly unnecessary. If only for the fact that I grossly overreacted the past week. Being overdramatic doesn't suit me. Far too much work."

"So you think we can stop by the cafeteria on the way to the library, or is that far too much work too?"

"Absolutely not, I'm starving."

"I'm not really hungry, but I'd love something to drink."

"Coffee?" You roll your eyes, knowing she's just teasing.

"Tea."


	7. We Are Trapped

** We Are Trapped  **

That meeting couldn’t have gone any worse than it had. Your presentation was flawless. It was more of an issue with the audience. Just a bunch of old men sitting at a boardroom table, listening to you drone on about technology and how introducing more of it will advance the business they’ve been keeping in the dark ages for years.

Instead of being praised for the innovative thoughts you had, your boss had spent the last half hour shaming you for progressive thought.

Honestly, you don’t know why you keep this job. You absolutely hate it. It makes you feel creatively stunted. Sure, the pay was decent. It allowed you to live comfortably. But you had watched too many of your male coworkers ascend the corporate ladders of this company and many others for accomplishments far less than your own.

So when you step your first solemn footstep into the elevator, you release a heavy sigh of defeat. As the elevator begins to hum and pass from the nearly highest floor down towards the lobby, you start to replay the meeting over in your mind.

What was keeping you here at this trash job? Was the money really enough to compensate for your ambitions? Hardly.

The elevator begins to slow about midway through the journey. When the doors slowly pull apart at the eleventh floor, there it is. The one thing that you want to stick around for. The one thing that made it worth coming to this building for all week. Something that made the menial work you do worth tolerating.

Weiss Schnee.

The Schnee Company took up floors five through eleven of the building. And every now and again, you got a glimpse of the most beautiful person you’ve ever seen in your entire life. In this elevator. And you just weren’t ready to give up this elevator yet. So when Weiss Schnee steps into the elevator with you, you politely nod and step to the side.

“Good afternoon.” She greets you, her voice slightly nasally.

The doors slide shut once again, and the humming of the elevator resumes. Tenth floor, then the ninth. Then you hear something that resembles the sound of the air brake on a bus and a loud grinding sound. And the elevator comes to a slow stop.

“What is going on?” She leans forward and repeatedly presses the button for the lobby.

“I think the motor in the elevator blew. Or at least that’s kind of what it sounded like.”

“Are you some undercover elevator technician,” she looks at the ID badge clipped to your jacket pocket “Blake Belladonna?”

“Um no, definitely not.” You reach across her and hit the emergency alarm button on the panel.

“Hello?” A voice echoes through the intercom. “What is your emergency?”

“Other than being trapped in this damn elevator?” Weiss answers back, annoyance ringing clear as crystal in the metal box.

“We are aware that the elevator has ceased to function as expected. Please don’t be alarmed. We are currently looking into it, Miss Schnee.”

“How do you even know who is in the elevator?”

“You have to scan your ID prior to being able to summon the elevator, for security purposes. Are either you or Miss Belladonna hurt? Will you need medical attention?”

“I’m fine.” You say, leaning against the far wall.

“I require no medical attention. Assuming you are getting us out of here sooner, rather than later.”

“We are doing our best to get the two of you out of there as soon a-“

Before he can finish, the ambient lighting in the elevator cuts out. Leaving only the emergency track lighting at the ceiling edges.

“Great. This is just great. We are, we are-“

“Trapped.” You can’t help but notice the irony of your situation. “We are trapped.”

You are trapped in an elevator with only ambient emergency lighting, with the girl of your dreams, after the literal worst day of work you’ve probably ever had. How could this get any worse?

“Hey!” Weiss starts banging on the door of the elevator, and grasping at the crack where the doors meet trying to force them apart. Crazy. The girl of your dreams might be crazy, or at the very least, claustrophobic. “Get us out of here!”

“Would you like me to help?” You know there’s no point, but you offer anyways.

“With?” She looks at you, questioningly.

“The door?” You point a finger to where she’s been standing and take a few steps toward her.

Carefully, you wedge your fingers in the doorframe and pull with all your might. But the doors don’t budge. Not really surprising. Taking a few steps back, you take your original place and slide down and sit. You have a feeling this isn’t going to be a quick rescue.

“You’re giving up? Already?” Weiss continues trying to pull the doors apart, with no success.

“Well, even if you got the doors open, where do you propose we go? We are in between floors.”

“Perfect.” Her shoulders slouch and she moves to sit a few feet from you. “How do you know so much about the mechanics of elevators?”

“I don’t know much about them. But I do know the motors have a safety feature that keeps the doors from flinging open or slamming shut too quickly. And if the motor is blown, we won’t have enough leverage to override that feature and get the doors to open.”

“What exactly is it that you do here, Blake Belladonna?” She squints her eyes and it makes you a little nervous and uneasy.

“Well um, I work for Ironwood Communications.”

“Doing?”

“Right now I assist the Chief Technology Officer and oversee about 75% of the companies technical support teams.”

“Right now?” She quirks an eyebrow.

“Not sure how much longer that will be the case. I had a huge presentation for technological expansion today and I’m pretty sure it totally bombed.”

“I don’t know much about you, but you seem fairly thorough at risk assessment.” Motioning up to your surroundings.

“Well, the last thing that happened before stepping into this elevator was a reprimanding from my boss about needless changes, the exhaustion of resources and being misaligned with company goals.”

“It couldn’t have been too bad.” Waving her hand to dismiss the notion.

“They didn’t even let me finish the presentation. Told me they would ‘circle back.”

“Ah.” She nods. Knowing full well what that means. The two of you sit in silence for the next few seconds before you hear her clear her throat. “I have an idea. Pitch it to me instead.”

“What?”

“Your presentation. I assume you reviewed it enough to be able to present at least some of it from memory.”

“I suppose I can, if you’re really interested?” This honestly wasn’t the first conversation you had imagined having with your beautiful elevator dream girl.

“Go on.”

And so you give the same presentation, in its entirety, that you gave an hour prior. It takes almost 45 minutes. But this time, Weiss engages with you, asking questions, all of which you answer. After you complete your makeshift presentation, Weiss takes a few moments to ponder something.

“You know, the Schnee Company is currently looking for a new Chief Technology Officer, our current one is looking to retire.” She looks back up at you.

“I heard some people talking about that in the cafeteria the other day.”

“How would you like the job?” The blood in your veins runs cold.

“Wh, what?” You shake your head. “Forgive me, I’m so sorry. But are you offering me a job? In the elevator?”

“Now that sounds foolish, doesn’t it?” She laughs. “But yeah, I think I am.”

“You smiling is unfair.”

“Why is that?” The lights flicker and come back on. And you grab the handle lining the walls and pull yourself off the floor.

“Makes my judgement feel a little clouded, is all.” Extending your hand to help her off the ground, she takes it and hops up, coming face to face with you in the confined space.

The elevator begins to move slowly.

“You want to know one of the best perks about being the Chief Technology Officer of the Schnee Company?”

“The stock options? Or the retirement?”

“When the Chief Financial Officer asks you out, you won’t have to say no because of a conflict of interest with your current company, or due to a fraternization policy. Unless you just really want to say no, which I doubt. And I will also make sure that they compensate you properly for your work.”

The doors slide open and Weiss Schnee steps out into the lobby in front of you.

“Two weeks.” You take a step from the elevator and follow her into the lobby.

“Excuse me?” She tilts her head slightly to one side.

“I would love to accept the position, but I would ask that I can provide proper notice to my current employer.” She shakes her head as though to clear her thoughts.

“Of course. Not a problem.”

“You seem surprised.”

“I honestly didn’t think it would be that easy.”

“Oh, it is the only easy thing about me, Miss Schnee.” She quirks an eyebrow before turning and walking away. And you realize what you just said. “Wait!” You trot after her. “That came out completely wrong.”

“Oh it’s fine, I’m completely up to the challenge.”

She winks at you before walking out of the doorway and to where ever it is that Weiss Schnee goes. Hopefully, you will soon find out.


	8. Last Time I Ask You For A Favor

** Last Time I Ask You For A Favor **

"I need a date. That's all."

"That's all?" Surely Weiss realizes the gravity of her request.

"Come on Blake, please?"

"Why do you need a date? Can't you go by yourself? It's a wedding, that isn't yours. Pretty sure that's the only wedding you have to have a date for." You roll your eyes and continue to clean all the dishes from dinner.

Normally, living with Weiss was easy. You were both fairly relaxed and enjoy living in a quiet space. You were both very clean and there was never a mess to come home to after work. But for the last week she had been literally begging you to go to her friend's wedding with her.

"I forgot that I RSVPed with a guest and I never found.. a guest so I need someone to come with me or else I will look…"

"Lonely? Sad?"

"Quiet." She slaps your arm with the dish towel and continues to help you clean.

"I mean, taking someone to the wedding with you as a date that you aren't dating or interested in could be seen as something like… dare I say, desperate?" You quirk an eyebrow at her.

"While I see what you mean, I am more than willing to risk that possibility. It is nothing in comparison to me saying I'm going to bring someone and showing up alone. Which is what will happen if you don't come with me." She stomps her foot like a child when you take away their toy.

"This just seems like poor planning on your part, honestly." You turn and walk off towards your bedroom.

"Blake Belladonna!" She never raises her voice at you, so you stop in place, turning back around to face her.

"Weiss Schnee?"

"I cannot go to this wedding by myself, I will be mortified. I need your help!" You give her a few solid seconds of complete silence while you stare her down.

"Fine. But I don't have anything to wear. So I need to go shopping. And I need to know what you plan on wearing as well."

"Really? You'll go with me?" She clasps her hands together. "Wait, why did you suddenly change your mind?" Her expression changing from happiness to complete suspicion.

"I am your friend. And you said you need help. So I'll help you." You wave your hand at her and turn back around toward your room. "Even pretend to be your date."

You hear her mumble "thank God" as you grab your book and lay down on your bed to read for the rest of the evening.

—

You took the following week to find an outfit for this wedding. Weiss insisted on coming with you. Like you were incapable on your own. Oddly enough, she asked that you wear a sleeveless blouse and fitted pants with heels. Not what you ever would've picked, but Weiss was always way more fashion forward than you. So you trusted her judgement, and you know, pockets.

Luckily for you, Weiss is very particular, so she demanded that she pay to have your hair and makeup done. Which really made the day easier for you. So you weren't complaining.

As the two of you walk up to the ceremony, she leans over and whispers to you.

"I have something I have to tell you."

"Now?" Could she not maybe have said something in the car on the way here? Or you know, any other day?

"So, I may have told some of my friends, and maybe my sister that we were you know.." She lets her voice fade off as you walk into the chapel and have a seat next to her.

"No, I don't know." You whisper as you look at her with furrowed brows.

"I told everyone that we were together." She immediately looks away from you.

"Are you serious?!" You want to yell, but the religious dude up front had started talking and people were already shooting you dirty looks for talking at all. "Mhm."

The entire ceremony you just stare forward. Occasionally, you look at Weiss out of the corner of your eye. And when the ceremony finally concludes, the bride and groom, whoever the hell they are, ask the crowd to join them for dinner at some little outdoor set up they probably overpaid for next door.

Before the two of you can even speak to one another, someone you assume Weiss knows runs up to you.

"Oh my gosh. You must be the ever elusive Blake!" The woman with long red hair and emerald green eyes envelops you in a hug before you can prepare yourself.

"That would be me, unfortunately." Hoping the look you give Weiss over this stranger's shoulder is sufficient enough to get your point across.

"Weiss talks about you ALL the time. It's so good to finally meet you!"

"I don't talk about her all the time." Weiss looks away, embarrassed. And for some reason you can't stop the smile as it creeps across your face.

"I'll see the two of you at dinner. I have to go find Jaune. He's probably already sitting somewhere waiting for food. You know how he is." The perky lady leaves the two of you to stand in silence.

"Well? Let's go." You step next to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her forward with the crowd. "We can't be late for dinner, sweetheart."

"Blake, you don't have to do this." She stops, pulling back on your arm.

"Oh. That's where you're wrong, Miss Schnee." You pull out the chair in front of the place setting with Weiss' name and wait for her to sit down. "I do have one question for you though."

"What, what is it?" She looks up at you as you take your seat in the chair beside her.

"When you RSVP to junk like this, don't they ask what you want to eat?"

"Well, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Weiss, I'm trying to politely as what the hell you RSVPed that we would like to eat."

"Uh yeah, of course, um salmon. I know you like salmon so I figured it was a safe choice."

"Okay. Cool." You shrug your shoulders and take a sip from the fancy glass in front of you. "Do you think there's going to be an open bar? Or some wine maybe?"

Later in the night, you had been subjected to many introductions to various strangers as "Weiss' girlfriend." All of which seemed to have heard about you well before your arrival. But all in all, the day wasn't bad. For you at least.

You had taken any chance possible to make Weiss uncomfortable that had arisen. Whether it was hand holding, slow dancing, you think you may have even kissed the back of her hand once, whatever it was, if it embarrassed Weiss Schnee, you did it.

"That is the last time I ask you for a favor." She says as the two of you finally arrive home. And you can't help but laugh.

"Oh come on, don't tell me that you didn't enjoy our date." Quirking an eyebrow, you see the blush return to her cheeks.

"You didn't have to take it so over the top. Now we are going to have to have some kind of elaborate break up, yet somehow still manage to live together. I have no idea how I'm even going to explain that."

You watch as she paces through the living room. Back and forth. Weighing situations and outcomes over and over in her head.

"Weiss." It's almost like she can't even hear you. Too far inside her own head. So you say her name one more time, but a little louder. "Weiss."

"Yes?"

"Would you like to have dinner with me?"

"We already ate."

You close your eyes and let the breath in your chest huff itself out in a small sigh.

"That's not what I'm asking."

"Why would you ask if I wanted to have dinner when we already had dinner? We literally just left the place where we had dinner. I don't know how you could be hungry. And it's late."

"Salmon."

"I'm so confused." You take a step closer to her.

"We have had the save the date for this wedding on the refrigerator for seven months."

"I know, I put it there. I told you that I could take it down if you got tired of looking at it."

"Which means that you got the invitation and had to RSVP roughly three or four months ago."

"Yes."

"And you know I like salmon."

"I do."

"And I know that means you RSVPed to the wedding as though I would be coming with you, three or four months ago. Which also means that you have been hoping I would go to this wedding with you for months. But you waited until the week before to practically beg me to go with you."

"Maybe." You take another step closer.

"Why?"

"I don't want to mess this up." Her voice is only barely above a whisper.

"I wasn't doing you a favor, you know." You take a step back, beginning your retreat. Not wanting to push this too far.

"Of course you were."

"I liked going to the wedding with you. I am glad I got to spend a day being somewhat fancy with you." She cracks a small smile.

"You do look rather nice."

"You know if you had asked me to go to the wedding with you months ago, I would've still said yes."

"Because you would help me if I asked, I know." She rolls her eyes, but seems disheartened.

"I would've said yes because I like waking up in the mornings to the sound of you yawning in the kitchen while you make coffee. I like to cook dinner because I know it means you will help me clean the dishes. I like to grocery shop on Tuesdays because it's the only day of the week that you leave work early, so you will always be able to go with me. I would've said yes, no matter when you would've asked. Because I like spending my time with you."

"Oh."

"Now that I have successfully embarrassed myself just as much as you have embarrassed yourself, I think we can say this day is officially over."

And with that, you turn and walk into your room. Your blood feels hot, but your skin feels ice cold. And you aren't sure if you're still breathing.

After taking a few deep breaths, you start to pace back and forth a few times. When you spin around one final time, you see Weiss leaning against the frame of your doorway.

"May I ask you for one more favor?"

"Okay."

"Ask me again, please."

"Would you like to have dinner with me?"

"I would. Every day. But if you have a specific date and time in mind for one occasion in particular, that would be fine too."

"O-Okay. Great. Um. Tomorrow? Or is that too soon?"

"Apparently we've been waiting for months, so tomorrow is perfect."

"I only have one request."

"And what is that?"

"I don't want to hear any stories at the next wedding we go to about how you took me home after our first date. It would make me seem like a classless woman." She rolls her eyes as you laugh at your own joke.

"Blake Belladonna, keep it up with jokes like that and we won't be going to the next wedding."

"Oh whatever. You know you love my stupid jokes." She smiles at you from the doorway, and you feel like your heart is melting out of your chest and into your toes.

"I actually do."


	9. There's Something I've Been Meaning To Say

**There's Something I've Been Meaning To Say **

You had everything.

You had made sure to have flowers delivered for Weiss this afternoon. At the office. Because where else would she be. Just like she had been, for every other anniversary the two of you had. 

The bottle of wine sits in a bag on the passenger seat of your car as you fight your way through traffic. 

You were usually responsible for dinner plans. This year, you had been rushed for time. So you figured you would just make reservations someplace nice. Instead of trying to cook. Although, you always thought it was more intimate to cook. 

But if traffic had anything to say about it, the two of you may not make that reservation. 

You had sent a few texts, letting Weiss know that you’d left the office, and one to let her know that traffic was worse than usual. She hadn’t answered, so you called, and got no answer. You figured it was safe to assume that she was either still at work herself, or that she was angry you were late. 

Wouldn’t be the first time work had kept you apart on an anniversary. One year, Weiss had gotten snowed in when she went to Atlas for a meeting. And the plane was unable to take off. To this day, she was still mad about it. The two of you had ended up having dinner via video chat. Which, while not the best scenario, was still okay with you. As long as Weiss was there in some capacity, you would be okay. 

One of your favorite anniversaries had been when you were in college, and you had just moved in together. You had absolutely no furniture, nothing. Not even a lamp. So you ended up eating pizza by candlelight on the floor of your living room. Just the two of you. 

It had been perfect. Even if it was a terrible fire hazard, in hindsight. 

But now it had been nearly ten years. Not quite yet. But only another two years to go. Seemed like forever and an instant, all at the same time.

You didn’t do gifts for anniversaries. It was too much back in college. Even though she had her family’s money, and your parents would’ve helped you out in any way, the two of you refused to take financial help from anyone. So gifts just never quite made it into the budget. And the older you got, the more you realized the value of company over material possessions. 

So no gifts. Just dinner. Flowers were the only thing you got away with. 

Probably just because Weiss loved flowers. Even though you would like to believe it was because she just couldn’t tell you no. But you knew that wasn’t the case. Weiss Schnee never let you get away with anything. It was one of the things you loved most about her. 

There were many, many things. Like how she touches her hair whenever she’s nervous. Or how she can’t leave any question without an answer. And how whenever she sits next to you, she always sits to your left. So that she can hold your hand under the table. The way she always sits as close as physically possible to you on the couch, and swears it’s because she’s cold. 

After over an hour of struggling to get home through horrendous traffic, you open the garage door to find a pearl white car already in its spot. Weird. Weiss rarely ever gets home before you. 

Even before you can grab your work bag and wine from the seat beside you, you can hear the muffled sound of an alarm. 

As soon as you open the door separating you from the inside of your home, the sound magnifies itself immensely. It is also coupled with the continuous string of curse words that seem to originate from the kitchen. There’s also a not so faint smell of burning food wafting down the hallway as you make your way to the source of the alarm. 

Coming to a stop in the doorway of the kitchen, the sight before you is truly one to behold. Unable to be completely sure without gathering more details, it appears that Weiss was trying to cook… something. And was failing miserably. 

There was smoke coming out of the oven. Something was boiling over on the stove. There was pasta. Cooked pasta. Just sitting on the countertop. Not in a bowl or on a plate. Just laying, right on the counter. If you had to guess, the fire alarm was going off due to the oven smoking. 

Weiss was too busy frantically running back and forth between the stove, the oven and something she was compiling on the countertop to notice you had arrived. 

“I know you aren’t typically one to ask.” She freezes at the sound of your voice. “But would you like some help?”

When she turns to fully face you, there are stains all down the front of her clothes. The kitchen itself, well there was basically just food everywhere. It was a mess. 

“I’m making dinner.” She holds up her hands as though showcasing her work. 

“I can see that.” You set down the wine and your bag and start to roll up your sleeves. “I can also smell it. And hear it.” Pointing up to the alarm above you. 

“Yes. I don’t know how to stop that thing. It’s been going off for over half an hour.”

“Usually it stops when the fire and smoke dissipate.” You crack a smile, unable to hide it any longer. 

“Very funny. I got your flowers. They were lovely as always. Happy anniversary.” She moves past you, placing a quick kiss to your cheek when she goes by. She grabs a dish towel and moves back to her place at the stove. 

“So,” carefully approaching, peering over her shoulder, “what’s on the menu this evening, Chef Schnee?”

“Honestly, I don’t know anymore. I left early today so that I could make us dinner. I had my assistant send me a recipe with very detailed instructions. But I seem to have come up short. I must’ve missed a step.”

“Or twelve, it seems.” You twist the knobs on the stove to turn off all the burners. No need to increase the likelihood of an actual fire. 

“I tried.” She places the dish towel on the counter and rests her head against the inside of her hand. “I just wanted to do something nice for you. Every year you get me flowers because I love them. And I know you love our dinners. So I thought I would try to cook for you.”

“You know how they always say ‘it’s the thought that counts?” You nudge her before taking her right hand in your own and kiss the back of it lightly. 

“Yeah.”

“This is what they were referring to.”

“Very funny.” A slight smile begins in the corner of her mouth. “Guess we will just starve then.”

“Well, we’ve missed the reservation I made by about an hour. So that’s not an option anymore. But we are never out of options.”

“You can’t seriously think we can eat any of this.”

You begin to carry as many of the pots and pans and utensils over to the sink as you can. Dropping them all down before turning on the hot water. 

“Yeah no, we cannot eat any of this. But you know the rules, whoever doesn’t cook does the dishes. So I’ll make you a deal. You can grab my phone and order whatever you want to eat for dinner, and I will clean up this mess.”

“You are too good to me. You know that?”

“I know right? It’s weird. Almost like I love you or something.”

“If I didn’t know better, I would think you did.”

“Oh, you wound me so.” You hold your hand over your heart. “Now go order something so we get to eat some time this evening.”

You shoo her out of the kitchen. And it takes you nearly an hour to clean up the wreckage that Weiss left behind. But it keeps you busy until the real dinner arrives. 

“I figured we could do a blast from the past and have pizza.” Weiss slides the box onto the table as you finally pull out a chair and sit down.

“Wine and pizza. My favorite.”

“It is one of mine as well.”

After you finish eating, the two of you are cleaning up your plates and glasses. You can’t help but envelop her in a hug. And you don’t want to let go. It’s your favorite way to end your days. 

“Happy anniversary, Weiss.”

You let her go from your grasp and press a kiss to the side of her head before you start to make your way out of the kitchen. 

“Oh wait, before I go,” She looks up at you, surprised that you have more to say, “there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“That you love me, and that you couldn’t imagine this world without me. Yes, I know.”

“Well that too. But I was going to say, you have a noodle in your hair.”

“A what?” Shocked, she begins running her fingers through her hair as you laugh. 

“But also, I do truly love you. And if you plan on celebrating our anniversary in any way after this, outside of the kitchen, I need you to take all the pasta out of your hair.”

“You let me walk around and eat dinner with you with a fully cooked noodle stuck to my hair! How dare you!” She finally finds the now mushy strand of pasta and flings it at you. 

“It was only for a few hours. No big deal.” You shrug your shoulders and wander out of the kitchen towards the bedroom. 

“You’re going to pay for this!” She yells after you. 

“Oh, I hope I am.”

You hope that you will have to pay for and deal with this for the rest of your life. 


	10. The Kissing Booth

** The Kissing Booth **

When you had imagined college life, you had always thought about late nights studying in the library, or parties where you would go out drinking with your friends, or complete isolation and last minute study sessions in your dorm as you prep for exams.

Having to run the bottle ring toss stand for the dorm hall's charity event wasn't even anywhere near your college to-do list. But here you are. Carefully standing up about forty glass bottles on a table.

You always hated this game. It was completely rigged. The rings you had to toss were always smaller than the bottle tops they were supposed to fall on.

To make matters worse, you had found out that your roommate and love of your life would be running the kissing booth. Of course, Weiss Schnee had no idea that she was the love of your life. But that was a minor detail.

Luckily for you, Weiss' booth had presale tickets. So you may have bought some, just in case. What you hadn't anticipated was her booth being right next to yours.

"Oh hey Blake, looks like we are going to be booth buddies." You look up to see Weiss setting up her sign and placing a plastic bag of some kind on the shelving behind the booth.

"Yeah. Looks like it."

"Did you get stuck doing the ring toss again this year?" She tilts her head to the side and gives you a small smile.

"It's not that bad. I just hate when people, well, really when the kids don't win. It's totally rigged. I usually just give the kids the prize tickets anyways." Shrugging, you set about five more bottles on the table.

"Well that's very kind of you. They said my tickets sold out this year. So I'm a little nervous."

"I mean, why wouldn't they?" It falls out your mouth before you can stop it.

She looks away, smiling. Probably because you're blushing like an idiot because you've totally embarrassed yourself. Not like the two of you have to share a room for the remainder of the school year.. oh wait.

By the grace of God, when you stand up you see Pyrrha making her way towards you, purposefully.

"Hi ladies! Are you ready to go? We are about to open everything up!"

"It's as good as it's gonna get." You mumble as you place the little plastic rings along the counter top of your booth.

"As enthusiastic as always, Blake. Weiss? How about you? You have the only booth to sell out of tickets before we open."

"Really?" There's a slight crack in her voice.

"Most definitely. Yang is quite upset that her booth didn't sell out first."

"I mean, who would honestly pay to arm wrestle her? You're already going to have to pay for your own medical bills when she breaks your arm or wrist." Weiss giggles into her sleeve, and it makes you smile.

"Now, now, that's not fair to say. I asked her to behave and participate fairly."

"Well hopefully she listens." Weiss says as she hops up onto the stool behind her booth.

"Alright, it's go time. So I have to head back up front and make sure Nora and Ruby don't eat all the food. Or set something on fire."

"Wouldn't be good to have a repeat of last year, would it?" You say, and Pyrrha looks at you clearly unamused by the smirk on your face.

As soon as Pyrrha is gone, Weiss leans over towards you.

"Remind me, what happened last year?"

"You mean you really forgot that the two of them tried to deep fry every kind of food they had at the concession stand and the wall caught fire?"

She doubles over in laughter, slapping her knee.

"No, no I didn't forget. But it never gets old. The two of them smelled like corndogs for a month afterwards. Pyrrha was so mad."

The first group of kids approaches your booth and you take their tickets, handing them each three rings.

"And yet, even after the concession stand bonfire, Pyrrha thought it was a good idea to throw the same kind of fundraiser again this year."

None of the kids get any rings on the bottle, but you give them all a prize ticket anyways, and they walk off.

"Yeah, especially since half the money we raised ended up going towards the damages."

"What booth did you run last year? I forgot." It was true. You just know it wasn't the kissing booth.

"Face painting. And I was terrible at it. It was more like a 'Picasso painting in five minutes or less on your face' booth. Kids kept asking for animals or super hero masks and it was just a mess."

"Oh yeah, I asked you to paint a flower on my cheek and it looked way more like a jellyfish than a flower." She grabs one of your rings off the table and throws it at you.

"Who did the kissing booth last year?" She asks, propping her chin in her hand, looking off pensively. But she answers her own question. "Coco. How could I forget? She got in trouble for… how did Pyrrha refer to it?"

"Aggressively trying to suck face with every willing participant." Your air quotes are only to emphasize the ridiculousness of Pyrrha's word choice.

"Poor choice of words, considering it was Coco, so everyone that wandered by was willing."

"You aren't wrong. Still funny though."

Another five or six groups of people come and go from your booth. Weiss' booth still remaining unvisited. But for some reason, she seems unbothered by the lack of people.

"Have you started studying for Goodwitch's exam yet?" When you stand up from picking the rings up off the floor, you face her direction.

"I finished the readings and taking notes but I haven't started studying yet, no. You?"

"Not really. I started to color code my notes but then I was just too distracted."

"Too busy worrying about running the kissing booth, huh?"

"Actually, yes." It surprises you. Weiss isn't the kind of person to let certain things distract her from school work.

"Good news," you look both left and right from your seat, "doesn't seem like you're as busy as you thought. So not much to worry about after all."

"Right? So much for a sold out booth. I even went out of my way to figure out a way to not actually kiss people."

"Wh-what do you mean?" The nervousness in your chest building exponentially.

"Well, I didn't really want to kiss anyone in the first place. So I had to figure out a way to get out of it, without just quitting. So I got these." She leans over and places the plastic bag on the counter top of her booth.

"Hershey kisses. You bought a bag of chocolate?"

"This way, I can technically still give anyone a kiss, but not have to physically kiss them." She dances a little bit on her stool. Clearly proud of herself for coming up with the idea.

"That's kinda smart." It's all you can think to say as your brain comes to realize how much money you just spent on carnival tickets for basically no reason at all.

"So imagine my disappointment when there are no visitors to my supposedly sold out booth." She huffs in defeat.

"More good news, we have less than an hour left, so it's almost over. And you get to keep the chocolates for yourself."

"Still somewhat disappointing."

Suddenly, from around the end of the aisle, Jaune appears, with an armful of tickets.

"Speaking of disappointment." You mumble,

"Those tickets better not be for me." The look of terror is plastered on Weiss' face.

"Hey guys!" He's always so chipper. It's exhausting. "There's only like half an hour left of the carnival so I figured I needed to come drop these off if they plan on getting used."

"Oh God no, please God no." Weiss repeats a few times under her breath.

"And these are…?" You ask him as he lays them across the entirety of your booth's counter.

"Your tickets." He says to you like it's obvious. "You know, all the tickets you bought for the kissing booth. At first when Pyrrha said you had bought them all, I was a little confused. But she told me to just be quiet and bring them here for you. I still can't believe you bought every single one. That's like, over eighty tickets!"

If it were possible to die from embarrassment, you would be six feet under.

"Thanks, Jaune. I'm sure Pyrrha will be delighted to hear that I have received every single one of my tickets, right now, standing here. Now, please do me a favor and leave so I can die in peace."

"Alright then. You two ladies have a good night!" With that, he wanders off back the way he came.

When you finally turn to the right and look in her direction, Weiss is propped up on her forearm and leaning against the booth. Her eyes narrowing as she looks at you. This certainly hadn't been how you thought this would go. You had been hoping she would never find out.

"Just when exactly were you planning on telling me that you bought not one, not two, but ALL of the tickets to my booth, Blake Belladonna?"

"Never? Probably. Maybe eventually?" You fidget nervously.

"Why would you do that? How much could that have possibly cost? Over eighty tickets? You shouldn't go around wasting money like that!"

"It wasn't a waste." You mumble as you begin to start cleaning up your booth, placing bottles back in their boxes under the table.

"What do you mean? Of course it was."

"Selfish maybe, but not a waste." You take a deep breath. "Because maybe I didn't want to spend my night watching other people kiss you, over and over while I supervised the ring toss." Folding the legs of the table, you slide it back against the wall. "It was for charity too, so I didn't waste my money."

You don't really want to wait for her to say anything back. You already feel like your heart had arm wrestled Yang, and lost. So you start cleaning up all the tickets Jaune had left scattered on the booth. Habitually, you count them as you fold them into rows.

"How many?" Her voice almost seems far off, or like you're hearing it through a wall.

"I'm not letting you pay me back for the tickets, Weiss. I'm not sad or feel guilty that I bought them" You dismiss any notion similar to that as well.

"Blake Belladonna, how many tickets did you buy?" Her voice a little more stern this time. Rolling your eyes, you look over at her.

"Eighty four. There are eighty four tickets." Humiliated. You feel humiliated as you hear her shoes scuffing along the floor as she walks over towards you.

"Hold out your hand." You glance up at her suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Just do it, please." She lightly stomps her foot. So you stick out your left hand, palm up.

She reaches up and places a single chocolate kiss in your palm. And you just stare at it for a few seconds.

"Only one? I mean, technically I bought eighty four, so shouldn't you give me the whole bag-"

Before you can finish saying anything she grabs your face and pulls you down, pressing your lips together. If you weren't dead before, you were now.

"Took you two long enough. It was getting painful to watch after three years." The addition of another voice startles the two of you into separating.

Looking over, you see Pyrrha standing at the front side of your booth, holding a box full of supplies under one arm.

"And I'll be taking a few of these, as payment for my continuous pain and suffering that you have caused me over the years." Reaching her hand into the candy bag and grabbing a handful before she walks off.

"I can't believe she took my candy." You say as your eyes follow Pyrrha around the corner.

"I guess you're just going to have to redeem the other eighty three tickets the old fashioned way." Weiss says as she rips one ticket from your collection.


	11. I'll Never Unsee That

** I'll Never Unsee That **

“Oh! I have an idea, let’s play truth or dare.” Ruby suggests. And Blake feels the hair on the back of her neck bristle up. 

“YES!” Nora is suddenly incredibly invested in truth or dare, and no longer in the bowl of popcorn in front of her. 

“I’m game to play. But only if we do dares only, truth is always so boring.” Yang smirks and joins the group in a circle on the floor. 

“I think it’s a childish game and don’t see the appeal.” Weiss sticks her nose up but sits down anyways. 

“So that mean you’re in, ice queen?” Yang shoves Weiss’ shoulder, almost knocking her over. 

“Of course I’m in, you brute.”

Blake silently takes a seat across from Weiss. Not really enthusiastic about playing, but everyone else had committed and she didn’t mind being able to look at Weiss for a while. Not that anyone would ever know that. 

“I haven’t played this game in so long. This should be fun.” Pyrrha’s enthusiasm on the other hand, was palpable. 

Clearly, she’d never played this game with Nora and Yang before. 

“I’ll go first since it was my idea to play. And Blake, since your are sitting to my right, you get to ask the dare.”

“Lovely.” She takes a deep breath. “But I want to establish the ground rules. First, no naked dares. I can’t take another month worth of Goodwitch’s detentions.” 

Yang and Nora audibly groan. But Blake continues on. 

“Also, no dirty dares. If I have to explain to Ruby what a lap dance is one more time, I’m going to need therapy.”

“I still don’t really get it.” Ruby mumbles. 

“Oh come on, Blake! If we can’t do any of the fun ones then what’s the point?” Yang crosses her arms in disappointment. 

“I guess you will just have to use your brain and be creative then, huh?” Weiss jabs at Yang, which gains a snarl from the blonde. 

“Now, now, let’s play fair. Blake, go ahead and start.” Pyrrha is still way too excited. 

“Fine. Ruby,” Blake looks around for ideas. Eyes coming to rest on the items on the kitchen counter. “I dare you to eat a spoonful of mustard.”

“That’s it?” Clearly offended, Yang rolls her eyes. 

Ruby hops up from her place next to Blake and moves to grab a spoon. 

“Did I say spoon? I meant the soup ladle.”

“That’s more like it.” The smirk on Yang’s face is telling. 

“What if it makes me sick?” Ruby can’t help but ask. 

“If you throw up before you finish it all, you have to complete a second dare.” Blake clarifies as Ruby squeezes the yellow mustard out of the bottle and into the soup ladle.

“Okay. Ready?” Ruby asks the group even though it doesn’t really matter how ready they are. But they all nod in confirmation, Pyrrha giving a supportive thumbs up. 

After the first bite, Ruby visibly gags but keeps her mouth closed. 

“Get it together Ruby, it’s just mustard.” Weiss offers up her version of support. 

“I’d like to see you eat it then.” She shoots Weiss a glare before taking her third bite off the ladle. 

“Lick the spoon! Lick the spoon!” Nora chants after Ruby finishes the final bite, shaking off a chill at the same time. 

“Yeah no thanks.” Ruby leaves the spoon in the kitchen and comes back and takes her vacant place in the circle. 

“Alright, your turn Ruby.” Blake says, looking at her expectantly. 

“Okay, um, Nora.”

“Yes!” Nora throws her fist in the air. Overzealous as ever. 

“I dare you to eat a whole piece of paper.”

“Easy.” Nora scoffs as she gets up and grabs someone’s notebook off the desk and rips out a fresh piece of paper. 

“Are you going to rip it up or just eat it whole?” Weiss looks absolutely horrified. 

“Does it matter?” Yang says eagerly as Nora crumbles up the piece in a ball and puts it in her mouth. 

“Fascinating.” Pyrrha says, unable to take her eyes off of Nora as she chomps on the paper repeatedly. 

Taking a huge gulp, Nora swallows the mouthful of paper in one go. 

"Like I said, easy. Who wants to go next?” 

Yang starts beating her hands on the ground. Wanting to get picked, knowing Nora is her best chance to have something completely ridiculous to do. 

“Alright, Yang. I challenge you..” she walks over to the kitchen and grabs a bag of grapes from the fruit bowl and comes back over to the circle “to put as many grapes as you can in your mouth.”

Yang catches the bag as Nora tosses it her way and sits back down next to Weiss. 

“Piece of cake. Or should I say, piece of grapes.”

“That makes absolutely no sense.”

“You make no sense, ice queen.” Blake rolls her eyes as Weiss and Yang go back and forth while Yang starts shoving grapes in her mouth one after another. 

After a minute or so, Yang has put nearly twenty grapes in her mouth. She looks like a chipmunk. 

“Nineteen. Come on Yang, I bet you can do another few grapes.” Pyrrha claps her hands together excitedly as Yang keeps going. 

“Roh kay. Ron morh.” The five others watch eagerly as Yang puts one final grape in her mouth. 

As soon as the final grape is in her mouth, Yang raises her hands in victory and yells triumphantly. The force of her yell causes the grapes to shoot out of her mouth. One of which hits Blake in the side of her face. 

“Oh sick.” She wipes what she assumes to be spit off the side of her cheek. 

After she wipes her mouth and collects the rolling grapes off the floor, Yang pops one in her mouth and starts to eat them. 

“Foul. Vile. Putrid.” Weiss still disturbed by Yang’s behavior. Yang seems unbothered by Weiss’ opinion. 

“Alright.” Tossing another grape in the air and catching it in her mouth. “My turn. Blake, you’re up.”

“Can’t wait.” Her monotonous voice drips with sarcasm. 

“Since you were easy on Ruby, I’m going to do you a favor.”

“So kind.” Blake rolls her eyes. 

“Take your socks off.”

“That’s it?” Weiss’ voice is shrill from the surprised tone. 

“With your teeth.” Yang smirks, knowing Blake can’t stand feet. “While you’re standing up, can’t make it too easy.”

Blake shrugs and stands up. How hard could it be? After a minute or so of struggling, hopping on one foot, Blake learns this may be harder than she thought. 

“Quit hopping around and focus.” 

“Weiss, I don’t need any tips. I know what I’m doing.”

“Is that so? Because it looks like you’re about to-“

Before Weiss can finish, Blake slips and tumbles to the ground, biting onto the end of her sock as she falls. 

“HA!” She says proudly as she holds the sock between her teeth.

“One down, one to go.” Yang says. 

“You can do it Blake! Don’t fall this time though, that looked like it hurt.”

“It did.” Blake groans as she stands back up. This time, easily pulling the second sock off her left foot. “Is it my turn again?”

“Yup.”

“Okay, um I guess I’ll pick Pyrrha.” Noticing that Pyrrha looks way too eager to play this game, Blake decides to take it upon herself to take that excitement down a notch.

“Oh excellent. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

“How are you excited when you don’t even know what I’m going to ask you to do? Wait, never mind. Doesn’t matter.”

“Cut to the chase, Blake!” Nora is bouncing up and down in her seat. 

“Go lift up the cushions on the couch. And you have to put whatever you find in your mouth for ten seconds.” 

“Savage.” Yang nods in approval. 

“Ew.” Ruby grimaces. 

Pyrrha walks over to the couch and begins to lift up the cushions one by one, noticeably more skeptical. 

“Oh! That looks gross. Get that one!” Nora shouts as Pyrrha lifts up a cushion, uncovering what appears to be an old potato chip. 

Hesitantly, Pyrrha leans over and grabs the chip in her hand and eyes it suspiciously and opens her mouth. 

“Pyrrha, please don’t Yang and Jaune sit on that couch. Gods know where it came from.” Weiss all but begs her not to eat it, as Pyrrha closes her eyes and pops the chip in her mouth. 

Blake’s eyes go wide, Weiss’ mouth falls open and Ruby covers her eyes. Yang stands up and claps, Nora cheers. 

As soon as her ten seconds is up, Pyrrha runs over to the trash bin and empties her mouth, and subsequently her stomach into the container below. 

“I’ll never unsee that.” Weiss looks away, disgusted. 

After rinsing her mouth out in the sink, Pyrrha takes her seat next to Weiss once again. 

“Trust me, you weren’t missing anything.” She looks around the circle to see who should go next. Only one person was left. “I guess I have to pick you then?” Looking over at Weiss. 

“I suppose.”

“Make it something good Pyr, she’s the last one.” Yang leans over and bumps shoulders with Pyrrha.

“Alright then. Um, Weiss, I dare you to..” Weiss looks like she’s holding her breath and could pass out at any second “send your crush a text and say that you love them.”

“Cold blooded.” Blake murmurs, looking to the side, not envious at all. 

“Well at least we know Jaune won’t be getting a text from Weiss.” Nora rolls onto her back in laughter. 

“Hey, that’s not very nice. Jaune is a really nice guy.”

“We all know you got a thing for mop head boy, Pyr. But I highly doubt Weiss is about to send Jaune a message.” Yang looks across Pyrrha, over to Weiss. “Right?”

“If I refuse to complete the dare, what are my options?”

“You can’t refuse, it’s the rules.” Ruby says defiantly. “I had to eat an entire soup ladle of mustard, you can send a single text.”

Weiss looks to the floor and wrings her hands uneasily. 

“It’s easy Weiss, you don’t even have to tell us who you send it to.” Blake tries to make her feel better. “I mean, it could be someone’s lucky day.”

“Exactly. You could make someone’s dream come true. Maybe they feel the same way. You never know.”

“Okay, okay. Hush. All of you. I’ll do it.” She pulls her scroll from her pocket and holds it in her hand. 

After a moment of staring, Weiss begins to navigate to the correct app and quickly types out a message. Reading it over a few times before taking in a deep breath and hitting send. 

“See? That wasn’t that bad, was it?” Yang teases. 

And Weiss looks across the circle and catches Blake’s eye, but the expression on her face is hard for Blake to read. It’s somewhere in between scared and sick. 

“Weiss, you alright?” Blake asks, but before Weiss can answer, Blake’s scroll makes a noise on the floor beside her. Letting her know she has a message. 

She picks it up and unlocks the screen, eyebrows furrowed as she reads the message on the screen. After about the third or fourth time her expression softens and she looks back up at the girl across from her. 

“Weiss?” Blake now shares the same look on her face as Weiss. 

Yang looks back and forth between the two of them until she realizes what happened and her eyes go wide. 

“No fucking way..”


	12. Please Stay

**Please Stay**

“This is stupid and I’m over it, and I’m over your snobby attitude!”

“I’m not snobby! I’m trying to get us out of here, you imbecile!”

Yang and Weiss had been fighting for nearly half an hour. Their bickering was a normal occurrence. But this time it had escalated. And for what? Nothing. 

“Hey guys, it’s going to be fine. We will get out of here soon. Probably.”

“Oh yeah, Ruby? We won’t get out of here til next year if we keep letting Weiss lead the way.” Yang scoffs and punches the haystack barrier next to her. 

Ruby leans over, whispering to Blake, “You know, I thought it was going to be a lot more fun than this.”

Blake sighs and shakes her head. 

“With the two of them fighting like this, we are more than likely to end up sleeping in this corn maze tonight than finding our way out.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Ruby seems so defeated, clearly blaming herself. 

“Good news,” Blake bumps her shoulder against Ruby’s, “by the looks of it, they’re about to kill each other so we can at least wander in silence after that.”

Hanging her shoulders and huffing, Ruby is at a loss for what to do. This was supposed to be a team building exercise, and here they were fighting like cats and dogs. 

“I have an idea.”

“What now Ruby?” The agitation in Yang’s voice constantly growing. 

“We are going to split up. Yang, you will come with me. Blake and Weiss, you two go together.”

“Whatever.” Weiss stomps off around a corner, Blake rolls her eyes and follows. 

As she trots for a few steps to catch up to Weiss, Blake can hear Yang spewing profanities as her voice gets further and further away. 

“Hey Weiss, slow down, wait up.” Thankfully, Weiss slows to a stop and turns to face Blake. 

“Are you going to yell at me too?” Her tone accusatory. 

“No, just wanted to walk next to you, instead of ten feet behind you, if that’s alright?” She looks at Weiss apologetically and Weiss releases a breath.

“Fine. I’m sorry. I know I was a little uptight.”

“Maybe.”

The two start walking down the pathway in front of them. Blake continuing to allow Weiss to navigate for them. 

“What do you mean maybe? Of course I was. I was awful to Yang.”

Blake nods slowly, agreeing with Weiss.

“But I mean, she was just as mean, if not worse to me.”

This time, Blake stops in place, the expression on her face displaying her lack of amusement in Weiss’ attitude. 

“You know, while I don’t think she was right in regards to her behavior, Yang is still my partner, so..”

“See now, you’re mad at me too. I knew I should’ve just let Ruby lead us. This is all my fault. We probably would’ve been out of here by now.”

“You aren’t wrong.” Blake steps back up beside Weiss and pulls on her shirt sleeve, letting her know to keep walking. “But we will really never get out of here if we stand still. So lead the way, Miss Schnee.”

“You will always take Yang’s side I suppose.” She seems disheartened, looking down at her muddy shoes. 

“That is not true.”

“Sure, right. Whatever you say.” Weiss prances forward a few more steps. Blake can feel the agitation rolling off of Weiss. 

“I can leave if you want? I’m sure if I hurry I can catch up to Ruby and Yang. If you’d rather me not be here. I could’ve volunteered to go with Yang, but I didn’t. But if you want me to not be here, you can tell me.”

Weiss’ shoulders slump down as she releases a sigh. 

“No. Please stay. I would never want you to leave me. I mean, leave. Just in a general sense, of course.” Blake quirks her eyebrow as Weiss continues to fumble over her words. 

“Alright. Come on. Let’s go.” Blake reaches out and grabs Weiss’ hand and pulls her forward. “Right or left?” She asks when they come to a corner. 

“Um, left.” Weiss points. 

After about thirty minutes of wandering, Blake pulls Weiss’ hand, prompting them to stop. 

“Okay. Safe to say we’ve been going in circles. Do you mind if I give it a shot?” Blake asks, trying to ease Weiss into giving up the reigns. 

“What makes you think we’ve been going in circles?” Surprisingly, Weiss tightens her grip on Blake’s hand. 

“Well um, I’ve kinda been marking the ground every time we take a turn, and we’ve passed this same spot about four times.”

“That’s… really smart.”

“I’d like to believe that I am at least of average intelligence, so thank you.” Weiss laughs for the first time the entire day. 

“You are well above average. Now, how soon do you think you can get us out of here? Because I’m pretty sure it’s about to start raining.”

Blake looks up to the sky just in time to feel a rain drop hit against her face. 

“Uh, maybe five minutes? If we hurry.”

As soon as Blake pulls Weiss around the first corner, thunder claps so loud she can feel it rattle in her chest. Then rain begins to pour down in sheets. 

“I guess we better go a little faster than a casual stroll then now?” Weiss asks over the sound of the falling rain and they begin to jog lightly.

By the time Blake can get them near the exit, they are nearly full out running. When Weiss slips in mud and the two of them almost fall to the ground, Blake grabs tightly onto Weiss’ arm and pulls her quickly up towards her. Saving her from ruining her outfit. But also pulling them face to face. 

“Well this is close.” Blake says as she slides her hand back down Weiss’ arm and holds her hand once again. 

“Yeah maybe we need to slow down a bit.”

“Probably a good idea. If I’ve calculated this right, we only have like one or two more turns to make.” Blake clears her throat and continues to lead them towards the exit. 

Just as Blake had predicted, once they made two more turns they were looking straight towards the exit of the maze. Where they see Ruby and Yang waiting under a covered area, hiding from the rain. 

“Thank goodness! I was so worried about you guys. I thought Weiss had led you to your eminent deaths!” Yang runs forwards and wraps Weiss into a bear hug. Obviously no longer upset with Weiss. 

“Put me down you heathen! I am soaking wet from the rain.”

“How did it go for you guys?” Ruby leans over to Blake and asks, bracing for impact. 

“It wasn’t bad at all. We had a great time. Or at least I did. You will have to ask Weiss about it.” Blake shrugs and keeps walking towards the parking lot. 

—————

Later that evening, the four of them are getting ready for bed and Weiss is drying her hair with a towel while sitting on her bed. 

“I have something to ask you.” Her voice breaks Blake’s concentration from the book she is reading.

“Hm?”

“You knew the way out of the maze the entire time, didn’t you?”

“Maybe.” She closes her book and sets it on the table beside her bed. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I kind of like being lost with you.”

“What do you mean?” Weiss can feel her heart starting to beat a little faster. 

“Hopefully I mean the same thing as when you said you never wanted me to leave you.”

“Oh. Yes. Well. I meant what I said.”

“I know that. And any time you ask me to stay, I always will.”

“Well maybe we can get lost again sometime. If you want.” Weiss says nonchalantly as she pulls the covers over herself and slides down into the bed. 

“I’m free to get lost on Friday after class. Let me know.” Blake turns off her light next to her bed and lays down. “But this time I’ll let you fall in the mud.”

“How chivalrous.”

“Always.”


	13. You Forgot To Say The Magic Word

**You Forgot To Say The Magic Word **

“I don’t know why you insisted on coming with me if you are just going to complain the entire time.”

“Well, I thought this was going to be a lot more exciting than it appears to be. You’ve always seemed to enjoy it immensely, so I wanted to come with you.”

“Weiss, not once have you ever expressed any interest in doing the grocery shopping.”

“That is untrue. I have gotten things from the store for us many, many times.”

“You had your assistant deliver it to the house. I doubt you even know how to get here on your own without GPS.”

“Now that’s just rude, and I am not complaining.” Blake stops in her place and stares blankly at Weiss.

“You literally just went on a five minute rant in the car about how you couldn’t believe they expected you to use a communal cart to place your food in.”

“It is a valid concern for our safety.” Weiss sticks her nose up in the air while pulling her hand sanitizer from her bag. 

Blake shakes her head, holding her hand out because she knows Weiss will make her take it regardless of whether or not she wanted any hand sanitizer. 

“Wait! Don’t touch that.” Weiss says abruptly, causing Blake to jump. 

“The handle of the cart? It doesn’t move on it’s own, you know.” Rolling her eyes. “And you need to chill out or I’m going to make you go sit in the car.”

This was going to be a test of will for Blake. She could already tell. Never again would she grocery shop on the weekend. For fear of Weiss wanting to come with. 

“Fine.” Weiss begins to wander the immediate area, browsing with suspicion. “How do you know what we have to get?”

“I make a list of what I would like to cook every week, and the stuff we eat. That way I don’t have to wander around the store like a lost puppy looking for food.”

“Are you saying that I look like a lost animal?” She looks across a stack of fruit at Blake, eagerly awaiting her response. 

“No, but you do look like a snooty rich lady that has never done her own grocery shopping before. And like all the food is covered in disease.” Grabbing some bags from the stand nearby, Blake begins placing some different items in bags and putting them in the cart. Marking them off the list on her phone as she goes.

“What is on our list?” Weiss leans over, curiously trying to eye the screen.

“You know,” putting the phone back in her pocket “I shared this note with you and it’s been on your phone since the first time I went shopping for us.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. I would’ve noticed.”

“I’m dead serious. Check.” Motioning towards the phone in Weiss’ hand. 

Quickly unlocking the phone screen, she navigates to the notes app. Sure enough, she finds it in the shared folder. ‘Blake and Weiss’ Grocery List’ last updated yesterday around eight.

“Ah. I see.” Clearing her throat. “Why do you share it with me, if I never come shopping?”

“So if there is anything you want that I didn’t put on the list, you can add it?” Blake says, like it’s totally obvious. 

“Well, good to know.” Straightening her posture and walking a few steps away through an aisle with vegetables, Weiss reopens the list and reads down it. 

It seems highly organized. Which she expected nothing less from Blake. It appeared to go in order of the sections of the store. And it contained almost every single thing they kept in the house. 

Weiss had never really spent much time thinking about it before. She had always been privileged enough, too privileged, that she hadn’t ever had to do her own shopping. Or cooking for that matter. Blake did all of it. Mostly. They did go out on occasion. 

Continuing to scroll, Weiss notices a lot of food on the list is required to make various different meals. But there are a few single items like snack foods or random out of place items. Taking her chances, she adds her favorite flavor ice cream to the list and closes the app. 

Blake continues to shop, seemingly unaware of the addition. 

“Hey Weiss, which one of these looks better?” Holding up two tomatoes for Weiss to compare. 

“They’re both red.”

“I know that.” Shaking her head back and forth. “Which one looks better though?”

“In what way? They both look dirty.” Weiss grimaces when Blake attempts to hand them to her. 

“I know. I wash them before we eat them. But if you are going to come grocery shopping, you have to participate in the shopping part. It’s a requirement.”

“The one on your right, I guess. The other one has a bruise on it. And I don’t want to eat it.” Her face scrunches. 

“See? It’s not difficult at all.”

“You do this every week?”

“Every other week.”

“Too stressful.”

“Buying the food we eat?” The mild look of unamused disbelief on Blake’s face is very telling. 

“Picking which ones to get, making the list, coming here and touching the dirty cart. I don’t know how you manage to do it.” Shaking her head disapprovingly. 

“Because we need to eat, and if you were to die of starvation I would be sad. Because I like you a little bit. Now, push the cart.” Blake walks off down an aisle, leaving Weiss behind with the cart full of fruits and vegetables wrapped perfectly in individual plastic bags. 

After a few seconds of flailing, trying to figure out how to push the cart without actually touching it, Weiss gives up and begins to make her way towards Blake down the aisle. 

Blake is looking at the list on her phone as she absentmindedly places a few items in the cart and continues to move forward. 

“Do you want me to make pasta this week?” She looks back over her shoulder at Weiss, who is overwhelmed by the number of various items on the shelves. 

“What?”

"Pasta. Do you want any kind of pasta this week, or no?”

“That’s fine.” She grabs a blue box off the shelf, eyeing it oddly. “There’s macaroni and cheese inside this box?”

“Yes?” Not sure if Weiss is asking a trick question. 

“How?”

“I’m not exactly sure what you mean by that.”

“How can there possibly be macaroni and cheese in here? The box would be soggy. Is it in a bag or something?” The look of pure concern on Weiss’ face is enough to break Blake’s stoic expression. And she begins laughing. 

“Are you for real?”

“I don’t see what is so funny.” She stops pushing the cart and places her hands on her hips.

“You’re hilarious. That’s what’s funny.” Blake grabs the front end of the cart and pulls it along behind her. 

“At least answer my question, since you feel like laughing at me.”

“There is macaroni and cheese in the box, Weiss. You have to cook the pasta and then mix the cheese into it. It doesn’t come already prepared.”

“Oh.” Feeling dumb for not thinking of that, she grabs the handle and continues her duty of pushing the cart. 

Weiss continues following Blake with the cart as her eyes are trained on the list. They make their way down a few more aisles before coming closer to the frozen section. Blake looks down the aisle but continues right past it. 

“We don’t need to go down this one?” Weiss asks, knowing that it’s where the ice cream is. 

“Nope. Nothing from the list is down there.” Blake hears a small whine coming from Weiss’ end of the cart and smiles. 

“Are you sure?”

“Positive. Now come on, we have to get some other things before we can go.”

Huffing, and annoyed about not getting the ice cream that she added to the list, Weiss follows Blake once again, this time towards the dairy and meat sections. After about five minutes of silence and cold shoulder, Blake turns back towards Weiss. 

“Okay, what has you grouchy now?” Raising an eyebrow as she questions. 

“Nothing.” Weiss crosses her arms over her chest. 

“Uh huh. Sure. Is there anything we are missing from the list?” Testing Weiss to see how stubborn she was willing to be. 

“Don’t you have the list?” Weiss asks, passive aggressively. 

“I do. But I think I got everything. I was just asking you, just in case.” Leaving the option open for Weiss to say anything if she wanted to.

They pass by the end of the frozen food aisle once again. Weiss looks longingly down towards the ice cream. 

“You’re absolutely sure?” Blake asks one more time, smile on her face. 

“Fine!” Weiss stomps her foot and walks down the aisle by herself and slings the freezer door open and looks into the cold storage container in front of her. 

After a few moments of searching, Weiss hears the wheels of the cart making their way down the aisle. 

“You have no idea what kind of ice cream we eat, do you?”

“I put it on the list.” She says defiantly. 

“I saw.” 

“How?” She looks out of the corner of her eye at Blake.

“Any time you make a change to the note, I get notified.”

“Can you just grab the ice cream so we can go? I’m freezing.”

“You forgot to say the magic word.” Blake’s sheepish grin makes Weiss roll her eyes.

“Please?”

“Okay.” Weiss leans over and places a kiss to her cheek just before she reaches in the freezer and grabs the ice cream and tosses it in the cart. “Can you mark it off the list for me?”

“I have no idea how to do that.” Weiss shrugs her shoulders and takes her place to push the cart once again. 

The only thing Blake can do is smile and shake her head as she taps the little circle next to ‘ice cream for Weiss’ on the list. 


	14. I Have One Word For You: Sing-a-Long

**I Have One Word For You: Sing-a-Long **

"Get in the house, Blake. It's late!"

"You get in the house." Blake stands there, arms hanging loosely at her sides, eyes not fully open.

"I am not in the mood for your shenanigans this evening."

"But what if I am?" Blake turns and wanders further away from the car and out into the front yard.

"Blake Belladonna, don't you dare." Weiss quickly prances around the car and follows after Blake. "You know the sprinkler system goes off at midnight."

"Little water never hurt anyone. It's like raining, but from the ground." Blake stops in place and mulls that thought over in her head for a few seconds.

The alcohol induced haze a little thicker than she previously thought. But she immediately becomes distracted by the tree that rests between her home and the neighbors.'

"Where are you going?" Weiss' voice droning on somewhere behind her.

"Tree."

"I know that's a tree."

"I am," Blake reaches out and grabs onto a lower hanging branch, "gonna climb it."

"Absolutely not. No we are not doing that."

"I never. I never said you had to climb it." Before Weiss can pull her down, up into the tree Blake goes.

Stopping about ten feet off the ground, Blake turns and sits on one of the sturdier branches, looking down at a tiny, angry Weiss.

"Ha, you look mad." Blake says, eyes half open and a cheesy grin on her face.

"Nothing gets by you, does it? Now, get down from there."

Placing her hands on her hips and stomping her foot, Weiss looks more like a child than an adult. Which just makes Blake laugh even harder.

"You're in for a surprise, princess." Wiggling her eyebrows at Weiss, as she slowly sways in place.

"What do you mean?" Weiss getting more and more fed up with Blake's behavior every second.

Before Blake could elaborate, the sprinkler system turns on and starts to spray the entire yard, including Weiss, with a fine mist of water.

Making a split second decision, Weiss quickly joins Blake in the tree. Her only other option was to walk all the way back across the now soaking wet lawn.

"Surprise!" Blake yells as Weiss takes a seat near her.

"Quiet! You'll wake the neighbors with your drunken nonsense." Weiss swats in Blake's direction, unable to land a hit.

"Well you aren't much fun."

"I am plenty fun."

"Oh yeah you are. But just not right now in this tree." Blake does her best to wiggle her eyebrows at Weiss, who just rolls her own in response.

"This is the last time I offer to drive when you and Yang go drinking. You are far too much."

"I am cool as a cucumber. Easy as Sunday morning." Blake waves her hand at Weiss as she sways in place with her eyes completely closed.

"An hour ago I was pulling you down off of a bar top as you yelled 'I've got one word for you, sing-a-long!' Which is more than one word, by the way."

"I don't recall. I do not recall your accusation ever taking place."

"Probably because you were black out drunk, trying to sing while Yang blasted children's music from her phone. Which couldn't be heard over the ambient noises of the bar, so you just started screaming the lyrics to what you thought was the music."

"Yeah no." Blake shakes her head back and forth. "I would never do something like that."

"But you did. I have a video."

"Lies." Blake dismisses Weiss' claim quickly.

"It's on my phone, which is in the car. Which is in the driveway, where we would've gone into the house and be sleeping if you hadn't dragged us into this tree."

"No one said you had to attend this party, princess." Blake's swaying gets a little more haphazard and Weiss slides closer to grab her arm.

"The only party I can foresee is you falling out of this tree and breaking your neck."

"I will be doing no such thing, Miss Schnee."

"Mrs. Schnee." She corrects.

"Ah yes, Mrs. Schnee, How could I forget?" Poking herself in the side of the head to emphasize her point.

"Still mad that I wouldn't take your last name?" Now it was Weiss' turn to try to agitate Blake.

"Belladonna is just so lovely." Blake sings the last bit of her sentence, eyes drifting back shut.

"I agree. Which is why we hyphenated, you dolt. Now let's get out of the tree before you pass out."

"You jump down first, then you can catch me if I fall."

"Always the romantic." Weiss says as she carefully steps down to the next branch before hopping the final few feet to the ground.

"If I fell, you would catch me, right?" The look on Blake's face is pathetic. Sad puppy dog eyes.

"Of course I would!" Weiss says poignantly. "Why would you ever think I wouldn't try to catch you?"

"Because," Blake makes her final hop down and Weiss helps support her by grabbing her sides, "you are small and I could squash you. And then I would feel really bad."

"Oh hush, not like you are some giant." Weiss wraps her arm around Blake's waist and begins to guide them carefully back across the front lawn, dodging the sprinkler system as they go.

"I would catch you too." Blake mumbles as Weiss lets her fall the short distance to the bed.

"I have no doubt."

"Wanna know, know why?" There is a small hiccup in her voice as she snuggles her way down in the sheets.

"Hm?" Weiss asks as she places a glass of water and aspirin on the table next to Blake's side of the bed.

"Gravity." Blake sighs. "But mostly because I love you more than gravity loves the ground."

"What a nerd." Weiss mumbles. "I love you too, Blake."

But when she looks over, Blake has already fallen asleep. Breathing steadily as she clutches the hem of the sheets between her hands.


	15. I Need This

** I Need This **

“Weiss, put that back.”

“What about this one?”

Blake looks over from the map she’s analyzing. A small smirk begins in the corner of her mouth.

“Do you even know what that is?”

“Of course I do.” Weiss spins the object and turns it over in her hand. “It’s a pointy hammer.”

Walking over and freeing the object from her grasp, she taps Weiss on the end of her nose with her free hand.

“This is a meat tenderizer, not a hammer.” Tossing it back down where Weiss had found it, Blake grabs Weiss’ hand and pulls her down the pathway.

“Would you please just tell me what we came here to buy? So I won’t have to keep guessing?”

“It’s a secret. And I really just like wandering around in here.”

“What’s so great about this place anyways? Everyone is obsessed with it. The furniture isn’t even that amazing.”

“IKEA isn’t about the quality of the furniture, Weiss. It’s about the experience.” Blake waves her hand out in front of them like she’s the spokeswoman for an advertising agency.

“Whatever you say. This place just looks like a blackhole of self assembly.”

“You definitely aren’t wrong about that.”

They wander hand in hand throughout the different sections of the gigantic building. Weiss making comments about the size of the rooms and quality of their contents that speak more to her privilege than to IKEA.

“I don’t understand how someone could possibly live in a space this small.” She looks to Blake, concern present in her furrowed brow. “How can you prepare your meals, sleep and just live all in one tiny space?”

“Not everyone grew up like us Weiss.” Blake says as she runs her hands over the fabric on the couch beside her. “We were, and still are, very fortunate.”

“Very true.” Weiss says as her eyes catch something across the showroom floor and she walks out of the tiny display room.

“See something you like?” Blake asks, knowing that it’s a highly unlikely situation.

“Not exactly.” Leaning over and picking an odd looking throw pillow out of a mesh wire bin in the aisle. “Who in their right mind would have this in their home?”

Weiss stands there holding a heart shaped red pillow. To make it worse, the heart has arms that reach out like it’s trying to hug you.

“I honestly don’t know.” Weiss is looking so inquisitively at the pillow in her hands that Blake can’t help but smile. “If you feel like we need that, we can get one.”

“Oh no. Absolutely not. That thing is not welcome in our home. It’s too creepy.” Rapidly shaking her head back and forth before tossing the forsaken pillow back into the bin.

They’ve made it nearly all the way through the entire warehouse, Blake had still not picked up whatever item it was she had brought them there for.

“Oh, look at this.” She waves Weiss over to look at the tiny little couch resting on the end of the aisle. “You should sit on it.”

“Why would they make such a thing? Its ridiculously tiny.” Looking down on it, she guesses that she could probably sit on it comfortably, but it was too low to the ground.

“What are you doing?” Blake ask, trying not to laugh as Weiss holds out her handbag for Blake to take as she makes her attempt to sit on this tiny couch.

“I’m going to have a seat. Obviously.” As she suspected, the couch was just wide enough for her to sit, resting her arms on the ends of the couch. “I still don’t get the point of this tiny furniture. But it is somewhat comfortable.”

“It’s a pet couch, Weiss. We are in the pet section.” Even though she’s almost doubled over from laughter, she still holds her hand out to help Weiss stand back up.

“Well, any animal would be lucky to rest upon such a thing. And for only fifty dollars? A total steal.” Taking her bag back, joining in on Blake’s laughter.

Once they made it to the wall decor section, it was Blake’s turn to wander and look at everything in amusement. Weiss quietly in tow.

“This cityscape is pretty cool looking. It’s canvas too.” Running her hands over the art, verifying her suspicion. “Which is kinda neat.”

“It is pretty neat, but if you want to see that, all you have to do is look out the windows. We don’t need a canvas for that.” Weiss says matter of factly.

“I know that. I was just saying.” Shrugging her shoulders and moving on.

“Oh my word.” Blake feels a small tug on her hand before Weiss lets go and makes a break for it. “I’ll be back.”

Watching as she scurries off towards the rug section Blake decides to have a seat and rock back and forth in the most comfy looking chair she can find. Closing her eyes, she notices the homey smell wafting through the air. Remembering what brought her here in the first place. Blake gets up and looks around for Weiss before spotting her, holding a very unexpected item.

“Weiss, whatcha got there?”

“Blake, I need this.” Clutching the hideous item to her chest.

“Um, you do know what that is, right?” Blake asks, face scrunched up, displeased.

“Of course I do. And I love it. We have to get it.”

“Are you serious?”

“Why wouldn’t I be?”

“You want a bright blue furry sheepskin rug?” Disbelief plastered across Blake’s face.

“And you don’t?”

“No, not really.”

“Well, I’m buying it.” Sticking up her nose Weiss begins to make her way towards the checkout area ahead of them.

“That’s fine. But it’s going in your office.” Rolling her eyes and following along behind Weiss.

“We have to buy at least one thing, since you brought me here under the pretense that you actually needed something from here.”

“Oh I do. Don’t worry.” Blake watches as Weiss pays on ungodly amount for the tacky blue furry mess.

“I don’t see you buying anything.”

“Well then come on, so we can get what I came here for.”

Blake leads them towards the concession area near the exit doors and takes her place in the line to wait.

“You brought us here for food?” The incredulousness clear in Weiss’ voice.

“They have the best cinnamon rolls ever.” She said it like it was common knowledge.

“Only you would do such a thing.” Rolling her eyes at Blake as she pays for the desserts and turns back to face Weiss, a huge smile on her face.

“Come on, get your ugly blue rug and let’s go home.”

“Can I have one of those when we get home?” Weiss asks, gesturing to the tray of desserts Blake is carrying.

“I guess so, but only if I never have to see that atrocity ever again.” Eyeing the rug in Weiss’ arms.

Weiss laughs as she places the bright blue rug into the back of the car and they drive home.


	16. Are You Fucking Kidding Me? & Can We Pretend I Didn't Just Say That?

**Are You Fucking Kidding Me?/Can We Pretend I Didn't Just Say That? **

“Are you going to be able to help me, or are you too busy with work?”

Weiss looks up from the computer in front of her and sees Blake leaning against the doorframe of her office. A hopeful look on her face. 

“Oh, yeah, sure. I’m just editing this presentation for tomorrow. Do you want to go in there, or is in here fine?”

“Are you sure? Because I can just ask Yang to do it if you don’t want to. She’s just downstairs doing one of those workout video things she does in the living room. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.”

Clearly reading the situation, Weiss shakes her head quickly. 

“No, no. I don’t mind at all.” Blake gives her a small smile, standing up straight. 

“Okay, great. Let me go change and I’ll be right back.”

As soon as Blake disappears from the doorway, Weiss turns right back to her work and begins to read through her notes for what feels like the millionth time. She hated to admit it, but she was so distracted with work that she barely noticed Blake return, with an armful of clothing. 

“Alright.” Blake lays each outfit over a chair or on the coffee table across the room. “You’re sure you want to help me? You aren’t too busy?”

“Huh?” Weiss peers over the top edge of the computer screen. “Oh yes, of course. No problem.”

Blake was running back and forth across the office, placing little accessories or items with each outfit before finally coming to stand in the middle of the room, facing Weiss.

“Okay, this is my first option. I figured it was simple, not too fancy, but still professional. You know, business like.”

“It looks nice.”

Honestly, it looks a lot nicer than nice. Blake was wearing a flowing, loose fit white sleeveless blouse and a dark navy pencil skirt. The neckline dipped just enough to where it caught Weiss’ attention, but still remained professional. 

“Um, okay.” Blake had been hoping for a little bit more of a critique than ‘nice.’ But this was Weiss we were talking about. “I was thinking navy or nude heels if I wore this one.”

“Uh huh.” Weiss’ eyes drifting back down to her presentation. “Remind me what this is for again?”

“The awards dinner? For the research institute? It’s in a few days. And you said you would come with me.”

Weiss can tell that Blake is nervous just mentioning the dinner. And she feels silly for forgetting. Blake had been working on her research for years and was finally up for an award which included a grant to further fund her study. Weiss felt awful and careless for forgetting. 

“Oh wow, that came up fast. Feels like yesterday that you started your research project.” Nice cover, Weiss. Internally rolling her eyes at herself. 

“You don’t have to go.” Blake’s shoulders slouch as she looks back and forth between two dresses, deciding which to try on next. “I know you’re really busy with the presentation and stuff. I understand. Maybe Yang can go with me instead.”

“Don’t even suggest such a thing. I will be going with you, and there is no need to discuss it any further. I might be busy but that in no way means that I don’t have time for you. Now, what is your next option?”

“This one I guess.” Blake leans down and grabs a dark red dress off of one of the chairs. When she begins to remove the clothing she is currently wearing she notices Weiss immediately look away, back down to the computer screen in front of her. She can’t help but take a jab at Weiss while she continues to change her clothes. “You know you don’t have to pretend not to look. You’ve seen me in way less, many times.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t choose to respect your privacy.” Her cheeks rosy, still averting her gaze as she hears Blake zip up the dress. 

“Okay, what do you think about this one?” Blake does a little twirl so she can see the front and back of the dress before sharing her assessment. 

“Unfortunately, red isn’t my favorite color. It does look amazing on you. But I think for the occasion it may not be the best option. It’s giving me ‘I just killed my husband and I’m mourning him at the funeral in a sultry red dress’ kind of vibes.” 

“Eh, I agree. It wasn’t my favorite either. Ruby picked it. So sorry Ruby, maybe next time.” Immediately unzipping the dress, letting it fall down to the ground and stepping out of it. 

Peeking away from her presentation yet again, Weiss sees Blake move to grab a long dress, white with silver accents. 

“Is that the dress you wore to the company holiday party last year?” Weiss asks, the tone of her voice comes out way more stern than she had intended.

“I think so, why?”

“It’s too fancy formal for an awards dinner.” She sees Blake huff in disappointment at the dismissal of a quarter of her options. “You do look beautiful in that dress, no question. But I don’t think it says ‘research institute award winner Blake Belladonna.”

“Hm, maybe you’re right.” Standing in the middle of Weiss’ office in her underwear, completely unaffected, Blake wanders over to the final dress. “What does the dress say?”

“It says ‘watch me as I float majestically down these marble stairs with my girlfriend, who is obviously just as majestic. Oh, and happy holidays.” Weiss points her pen towards Blake for emphasis at the very end, which gains a small giggle from Blake as she dresses once again. 

“Alright, last one.” Blake says as she models her final dress. 

Weiss looks up to see an all black knee length dress that hangs off the shoulder. It’s made from a chiffon looking material and has ruching all throughout the middle area. And then, then there was the back. 

“Thoughts?” 

“No. Take it off.” Shaking her head back and forth. Trying to keep her thoughts in her head where they belong and need to stay. 

“What? Why?”

“I just don’t like it. No.” Refusing to look up and meet Blake’s gaze, or the dress. 

“Weiss, this is a very important evening for me, and I really need your help picking out something to wear.” Weiss hears the distress beginning to mount in Blake’s voice, making her uneasy. “What’s so wrong with this dress?”

“Please just take it off. We will find something for you to wear.”

“Tell me what’s wrong with this dress.” Blake struggles as she reaches behind her back to undo the zipper and it finally falls to the floor below. Leaving her there, arguing with Weiss in her matching set of black undergarments. 

“I just didn’t like it, is all.” Weiss really doesn’t want to have this conversation, much less while the other half of the argument is nearly naked. 

“Just tell me why you don’t like it, please!”

“Fine! It makes your ass look huge. There? You happy now?”

—————

Downstairs, Yang has just finished her workout and is refilling her water bottle in the kitchen. She has been the unknown third party to the entire disagreement going on up the stairs. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” The ferocity in Blake’s voice garnering Yang’s full attention. 

Blake doesn’t yell. So maybe this was worth investigating. Usually, she didn’t get too involved in Blake and Weiss’ business. And seeing as how they had been gracious enough to let her stay with them while her house was undergoing “renovations” to fix damages caused by what the insurance company referred to as “an act of God or other natural disaster” on the paperwork, she was willing to make an exception. 

“Can we pretend I didn’t just say that?” There is an unfamiliar tone in Weiss’ voice. One she reserves only for Blake. It’s almost pleading or apologetic in nature. 

“This ought to be good.” Yang says to herself as she begins to climb the stairs. 

“You want me to pretend that you didn’t just say my ass looks huge?” Blake says, not thinking Weiss would have the audacity to even suggest such a thing.

“Hey ladies, what’s going on in here? Woah!” Yang immediately turns around once she sees Blake has on nothing but her underwear. “Sounds like you two are having a little bit of a tizzy in here.”

“No we are-“

“Yes, yes we are. Thank you for noticing.” Blake crosses her arms over her chest. Which only accentuates her chest, involuntarily drawing Weiss’ eyes towards her. 

“Now, now. What seems to be the matter? I’m sure there is a simple solution.”

“Quit staring at my chest, you’ve currently lost privileges.” Blake snaps at Weiss, who averts her gaze towards the wall. 

“You can’t exactly fault her for looking, cuz I mean, I looked.” Yang shrugs and there’s a small gasp from Weiss’ side of the room. “Anyways, now you two make up. Because this is ridiculous. Weiss, you were being rude and an ass. And Blake, you have a nice ass. And we all know it. So there’s nothing to fight about.”

“That’s not the point, Yang.” Blake starts in but Yang holds up a hand to silence her. 

“Tell her.” Weiss rolls her eyes at Yang’s demand. “Do it now, Weiss Schnee.”

“Blake, you have a lovely ass. It is one of your very, very fine qualities. The fault lies solely with the dress and my lack of eloquence in expressing it in such a way.”

“And?” Yang sticks out her neck, drawing out her words to match. 

“And I love you and I’m sorry for being insensitive.” Blake notices the sincerity in Weiss’ voice, but still continues to tap her foot on the floor beneath her, arms still crossed. 

“And you, standing over there nearly naked, what do you have to say for yourself?”

“Apology accepted.” Finally letting her arms fall to her sides. 

“What else?”

“And of course I love you too, like it’s even a question.” Rolling her eyes at Yang for being so childish. 

“Now that the two of you can quit being ridiculous, Blake, wear the blouse with the skirt. It’s a business event, not a red carpet. And Weiss, I can recite your presentation from memory by now, so I know you can too, give it a rest.”

“Okay.” The two of them say in unison. 

“Can’t wait til I can go back to my own house with my own space, and no relationship drama.”

“Hey! We don’t have drama.” Weiss says, clearly offended.

“And you could be at home, alone, right now if you hadn’t burnt down your kitchen and half the dining room trying to make chicken nuggets in the toaster. Then lied to the insurance company and said the house got struck by lightning.”

“It was for science, Blake. You of all people should understand. And put some damn clothes on. I know this is your house, but good grief.” Yang waves her hand in dismissal as she turns around and leaves the room, heading down the hallway. 

Blake begins to gather up all the clothes she’s left scattered across the office. As she’s about to walk through the doorway out of the room, she stops and turns back towards Weiss. 

“You lost those privileges too, so quit staring.”

Weiss immediately frowns and sits back down behind her desk. After a second of silence, Blake pops her head back into the doorway. 

“You know I was completely joking, right?” Winking before disappearing once again. 

Quickly, Weiss closes the lid of her laptop and runs off down the hall to regain her lost privileges.


	17. Hey, Have You Seen the... Oh

** Hey, Have You Seen the... _Oh_ **

“Come on, hurry up before someone sees us.”

Weiss drags Blake by the hand across the house as Blake looks around suspiciously.

“Where exactly are we gonna go? There’s people everywhere. It’s a party Weiss, kind of the point. Lots of people.”

“I think I know somewhere that won’t have anyone.” She turns and looks back over her shoulder at Blake, who looks intrigued.

“You know, we could just leave.” Blake suggests, immediately receiving disapproval from Weiss.

“No we can’t. We were invited to this party, and we have to attend the party.” Reaching forward, Weiss twists the doorknob and pulls Blake through the doorway with her.

“Really? The pantry?” Blake’s monotonous voice fills the tiny space between them as Weiss rolls her eyes.

“Honestly, I thought it would be roomier in here, given that it’s Coco’s house.”

“It’s fine. I love getting a back massage with canned vegetables.”

“Seems like your enthusiasm has faded. We can totally forget about it.” Weiss uses the tiny space they’re wedged in to her advantage, sliding her hand up Blake’s body and grabbing the collar of her shirt.

“No, no. It’s fine.” Blake stammers out quickly. “I’m as enthusiastic as ever, which I know isn’t saying much but-“

She is silenced by Weiss placing a light kiss to the corner of her mouth. Which Blake quickly returns, kissing Weiss fully. Letting go of the handful of Weiss’ shirt she has, she slides her arm behind Weiss’ back, feeling the tension fall from Weiss’ body.

She continues, straying from Weiss’ lips, planting small kisses on her cheek and over the scar under her eye. Gradually making her way towards her ear. When she presses her lips to Weiss’ neck, she hears a small gasp and feels a tightened grip on her shirt collar.

“Blake Belladonna, don’t you dare leave a mark.”

“Hmm. Why not?” Whispering against the pale skin before placing another kiss to it.

“Because,” Weiss can’t help but turn her head so that Blake can easily continue what she’s doing. “It’s not presentable.”

Blake rests her forehead against Weiss’ shoulder and laughs lightly before placing another kiss, this time to her collarbone.

“Didn’t stop you from doing it to me the other week. I looked ridiculous wearing a scarf in this weather.”

“Stop talking.” Weiss places her other hand to Blake’s cheek and pulls their foreheads together.

There is a rumbling sound outside of the door, and the sound of feet shuffling. Blake rubs her thumb in tiny circles on the small of Weiss’ back. And she can feel Weiss’ breath getting heavier against her lips.

“You locked the door, right?” Blake questions, like the answer should be obvious.

“It’s a pantry, it doesn’t lock from the inside.” Weiss whispers, anxiously waiting for the threat beyond the door to disappear.

“Oh, right.” Blake realizes as she turns to look towards the door, arching her neck slightly.

As soon as the shuffling disappears, Weiss presses her hand against Blake’s cheek to turn her face back towards her.

“Maybe we need to speed this up a little.”

“Scared of getting caught?” Blake taunts her.

But the taunt backfires when Weiss picks up where they left off, aggressively so. When Weiss runs her tongue across Blake’s lower lip, a small moan leaves Blake’s mouth. Blindly moving her hand around behind Weiss, Blake swipes back and forth until the shelf is clear, knocking various food items onto the floor and the adjacent shelf.

In one coordinated motion, Weiss wraps her arms around Blake’s neck as Blake reaches down and lifts Weiss to sit on the shelf.

“Shirt.” Weiss mumbles into Blake’s mouth.

Quickly grabbing the hem of her shirt and pulling it over her head, Blake tosses it to the side. Weiss reaches out, cupping her hands to Blake’s cheeks and pulls them back together. When Blake steps closer, trying to eliminate the space between them, Weiss wraps her leg behind Blake’s thigh, bringing them as close as possible.

Wanting to take control, Blake pulls back from the kiss so that she can make her way back to Weiss’ neck. Which is met with an unexpected bite to her bottom lip. So she places a softer kiss to the corner of Weiss’ mouth and she lets go.

Slowly, Blake kisses her way back down Weiss’ neck.

“Blake.” Weiss nearly chokes out her name as she digs her fingernails into Blake’s now bare shoulder.

“Hm?” She hums in response.

“We should-“ the words disappear from her mind as Blake slides her hand under the edge of Weiss’ skirt. “hurry up.”

“Sure you want me to hurry?” Smirking as she places a slow kiss to Weiss’ lips once again.

“We need to get out of here before someone-“

The pantry door slams open and Ruby turns the light on.

“Hey, Blake. Hey, Weiss.”

She continues to look through the shelf in front of her for something. Not even looking their way. The two of them freeze as Ruby reaches for the far shelf, behind Blake’s back.

“Hey, have you seen the chips? _Oh._ ” Finally realizing the compromising situation she has found them in.

Weiss hides her face in shame, resting her forehead against Blake’s shoulder.

“Ruby what’s taking so long, did you find the..” Yang looks around the door and into the pantry. “Oh for the love of God you two, again?”

“Got it!” Ruby snatches a bag of chips off the shelf and scurries out of the pantry.

“I need the two of you to pick more private locations for your indecency. I can’t have you traumatizing my little sister because you can’t keep your clothes on til you get home.”

“Fine.” Weiss mumbles into Blake’s shoulder.

“Got it.” Blake says, refusing to take her gaze from the wall in front of her.

“Now that we’ve cleared that up, put your clothes back on and get back to the party.” Yang closes the door a little too hard, leaving them alone once again.

“So uh, can you help me find my shirt?” Blake asks, looking around for it.

Weiss begins to laugh, giving Blake a smile before placing a kiss to her shoulder.

“I guess I can, for now. You’re just going to have to take it back off once we get home.” Weiss says, smirking up at Blake.

“Does that mean we get to leave now? You know I don’t like parties.” The sound of hope ringing clear in Blake’s voice as she pulls her shirt back over her head.

“We’ll see.” Weiss says as she grabs Blake’s hand and pulls her out of the pantry and back to the party outside.


	18. That Is One Hell of A Mess

** That Is One Hell of A Mess **

“Just send it out, it’s no that big a deal Weiss.”

“No. I can do it. Like you said, it’s not that big of a deal.”

“Alright well, just follow the instructions I gave you and you should be fine. I have to go, I have a meeting in five minutes.”

“Okay. I’ll see you when you get home.”

“I’ll be home for dinner.”

After the phone call disconnects, Blake gathers her papers and heads to the conference room down the hall for her meeting. 

The meeting… it goes. As usual, it could’ve been an email. But it took up a majority of the last two hours of her work day. 

She declined to grab drinks with Pyrrha and Coco after work, having promised Weiss she would be home in time for dinner. At which Coco took the opportunity to drive a dig about her running home to her wife. And that made Pyrrha get all sappy, making Blake nearly sprint for the stairs, not even bothering to wait for the elevator. 

As she walked out the door of the building, Blake sent a text to Weiss, letting her know she’d be home soon. Half an hour later, Blake is sitting in the car in the middle of relentless traffic. She hears the ringing of the line over the bluetooth system in her car. 

“Oh hey sweetheart, how’s it going? Are you almost home?” 

Never does Weiss ever use pet names of any kind. And there was a tone of distress in her voice. So Blake is immediately suspicious. 

“Yeah I’m sorry, traffic is a little worse today than normal. I’ll probably be another twenty minutes or so.” After a beat of silence, Blake is almost afraid to ask her question. “Everything okay, Weiss?”

“Okay? Why wouldn’t it be? Everything is fine. Totally fine. Perfect, even.”

“What have you done?” Blake can only imagine what is going on at her house. 

“Nothing.” She hears Weiss huff into the phone. “Why would you say such a thing? Pay attention to the road and I will see you soon. Love you.” And with that, Blake hears a dial tone before the call disconnects. 

Knowing that she’s going to be walking into some kind of Weiss Schnee form of damage control, Blake spends the remainder of her drive home singing along to the radio. 

As she pulls into the driveway of their home, Blake sees Weiss come outside to greet her, quickly pulling the door closed behind her. 

“Why does it smell like laundry soap?” That’s the first thing Blake notices when she steps out of her car. Already getting an idea as to what happened. 

“I don’t smell anything.” Weiss feigns ignorance, wrapping her arms around Blake’s neck, giving her a kiss. 

“Okay. Then why is your hair wet and your clothes too? Smirking down at Weiss, who immediately looks away. 

“So…” She turns and walks away to go back into the house and Blake follows. “I tried to do the laundry, like you said. Followed your instructions to the letter.”

As soon as Blake steps through the doorway into the house, she is overwhelmed by the smell of laundry detergent. 

“Weiss… just tell me what you-“

Before she can finish what she’s saying, Blake sees it. The entire hallway, the laundry room, part of the kitchen and a majority of the living room are filled with soap suds and bubbles. Not to mention, all the residual water.

“I read your directions and it said to fill the cup with detergent and I thought it meant the plastic cup that was on the shelf.”

“I meant the lid of the bottle.” Blake says distractedly, as she wades through the ankle deep bubbles and water to the laundry room. “This is one hell of a mess, Weiss.” 

Blake looks back over to Weiss, smiling as her shoulders shake slightly from laughing. When she looks, she sees tears in Weiss’ eyes and reaches out for her to come over. 

“I’m so sorry. I was just trying to help. And I flooded our house. Apparently, I can’t even do laundry.” She buries her face in the crook of Blake’s neck as the water sloshes over Blake’s shoes. 

“You tried. And my directions should’ve been more specific. We will just have to find someone to call and get this cleaned up is all.” Blake looks around, trying to assess the potential damages while thinking of who to call to fix this. 

“I probably destroyed our house.” She hears mumbling from somewhere near her shoulder. 

“Doubtful. But if you did, that’s fine.” Shrugging it off, Blake decides there’s no point in being upset. 

“How are you not mad?” Weiss asks, fighting back tears. 

Blake laughs lightly before pulling her arms around Weiss and sitting them down in the bubbly mess. 

“Can’t be mad if there’s bubbles.” She presses an over exaggerated kiss into Weiss’ hair. 

After a few moment of internal debate, Weiss lets go of a heavy sigh. 

“I suppose you’re right.” 

“And I will call someone to fix this all, in a few minutes. Next time, I will show you how to do laundry. Not just leave you directions.” 

“It’s so embarrassing. I’m a grown adult, and I can’t even do laundry on my own.”

“You just grew up too fancy for your own good. And I bet Klein would’ve written you better instructions.” Blake kisses the end of Weiss’ nose when she scrunches her face. “Now, let’s get up so we can change into dry clothes. And I’m starving.”

After taking a few steps, Blake turns around to face Weiss. 

“Please don’t tell me you tried to cook today too…” 

She raises her eyebrow sarcastically and smirks. Weiss immediately stomps her foot, splashing water further. 

“No! I did not!” Prancing past Blake, with her nose in the air. “I ordered pizza!”

Rolling her eyes with a smile on her face, Blake follows after Weiss towards their bedroom to change clothes and call someone to clean up this mess. 


End file.
